On December 5, just three days after Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwan Mann confirmed that the mastermind of controversial singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala’s murder, Goldy Brar, was detained in the United States, Brar reportedly appeared in a YouTube interview and said he was not detailed by anyone.
As per reports, he claimed that his group left the US and Canada long ago and all the reports about his arrest were fake. Meanwhile, there have been reports that the Punjab government was working on bringing Brar to India.
In an interview with an independent journalist, Brar alleged he was not arrested or detained by the US Police. However, OpIndia could not verify the claims independently. Brar said whatever CM Mann has said was wrong. Notably, on December 2, CM Mann made a claim in Gujarat that Goldy Brar was detained in the US. He further claimed to have worked extensively on curbing gangsters and miscreants in Punjab since he resumed office in March this year. As per Rozana Spokesman, Brar said he would rather die than get arrested by the police.
IAS Officers and the media team of the CM had informed the reporters to wait for an important press conference by CM Mann on how Brar was detained. It has to be noted that when it comes to dealing with matters linked to wanted criminals on foreign land, the Central Government and Agencies handle the cases. CM Mann made tall claims about Brar’s arrest and if it turns out to be false, it would be humiliating for the AAP-led Punjab government.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia alleged on December 4 that whatever Mann said about Brar’s arrest was false. In a video statement, Majithia said if he can get information that Brar was not arrested by the US police, and why the Punjab government was unable to verify the claims.
What can be more damming. Senior journalist @RiteshLakhi interviews dreaded gangster Goldy Brar who CM @BhagwantMann claims has been detained by US authorities. Goldy is not only roaming free but ordering murders at will. CM owes explanation to Pbis. Why did he lie to them.
In a series of Tweets, Majithia said, “Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann should tell Punjabis why he lied on detaining of gangster Goldy Brar by US agencies & his claim of bringing him to Punjab soon. More than 48 hours have passed since he made this claim, but no photo or video of detaining Goldy has emerged in public so far.”
He added, “CM clarify how he got into that Goldy Brar has been detained in the USA. Whether HM Amit Shah had informed him, whether US President Joe Biden or other US authorities or directly FBI reported to him on the issue or what else were his sources which informed him so.”
While mentioning how CM made alleged false claims about the BMW plant in Punjab, he said, “Ironically, DGP Punjab Police and Central Agencies are refraining from substantiating this claim of CM. It seems this claim was in line with other false claims he made in past, like BMW investing in Punjab. But he must realise that this bluff has given much pain to the victim families.”
It is notable here that the central government has so far not given any confirmation of Goldy Brar’s alleged arrest in USA, though there exists a red corner notice against him.
CM Mann “lied” about the BMW plant in Punjab
On September 14, it was reported that BMW denied claims made by Punjab CM that the company was planning to set up a plant in the state. In a press release issued today, BMW said, “BMW Group India has no plans for setting up additional manufacturing operations in Punjab.”
The company said that “BMW Group is firmly committed to its Indian operations with its manufacturing plant in Chennai, a parts warehouse in Pune, a training centre in Gurgaon NCR and a well-developed dealer network across major metropolitans of the country,” and it has no plans to make additional investment for a new plant in Punjab.
BMW’s denial comes after the Punjab government had claimed in a statement that during his ongoing Germany visit, CM Bhagwant Mann has secured an investment from BMW as the company has agreed to set up its auto part manufacturing unit in the state. It was claimed that a decision for this investment was taken during Mann’s visit to BMW headquarters in Munich on September 13. The tweet where CM Mann made the false claim still exists on Twitter despite the company denying the claims.
Goldy Brar takes responsibility for the murder of Sidhu Moosewala
In May this year, Goldy Brar, in his Facebook post, said that Moosewala was responsible for the murder of several of his associates, and since the police didn’t act, he did and murdered the singer/rapper. Interestingly, Moosewala’s security was removed just a day before the murder, as a part of the much-hyped campaign by the AAP government. A red corner notice was issued by Interpol against Brar of GoI’s request.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gangster group also published a Facebook post claiming that it was they who carried out this killing.
As per the Punjab Police, 8 assailants attacked Moosewala and bullets from 3 AK-94s were found at the site. The police said that the use of AK-94s is extremely rare in Punjab. The police had also made some arrests over their alleged links with Goldy Brar after the murder.
Days after being kicked out of Twitter over his brazen display of anti-Semitism, American rapper Kanye West has now dubbed Elon Musk ‘half-Chinese.’
In an Instagram post on Monday (December 5), Kanye West wrote, “Am I the only one who thinks Elon could be half Chinese? Have you ever seen his pics as a child? Take a Chinese genius and mate them with a South African supermodel and we have an Elon.”
The controversial rapper claimed that Musk is one of the many ‘genetic hybrid’ clones, which managed to survive. He alleged, “I say an Elon because they probably made 10 to 30 Elons and he is the first genetic hybrid that stuck…Well, let’s not forget about Obama.”
Screengrab of the Instagram post of Kanye West.
“I’m sorry for using curse words in church but I don’t have another word for Obama yet. Let’s Unify and find out,” he concluded. Kanye West also informed that he stalked the profile of Elon Musk on Facebook and dug out his childhood pictures.
The rapper wrote in the caption, “On Jay Zs birthday Future president of the United States Ye uses Mark Zuckerberg’s platform to incite a mass investigation of Elon Musk’s childhood photos in the midst of Balenciagagate I call this The theory of everything Problem solved Praise God.”
The development comes two days after Kanye West was kicked out of Twitter by its new owner, Elon Musk, for superimposing a Hakenkreuz (hooked cross) atop the ‘Star of David (an emblem of Judaism). “Love everyone #LoveSpeech,” he had captioned his disturbing tweet.
Screengrab of the disturbing tweet by Kanye West
It must be mentioned that the hooked cross was popularised by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, responsible for the death of 6 million Jews. This was too much to take even for the likes of free-speech absolutists such as Elon Musk.
On being asked to fix the American rapper, Musk informed, “I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.”
I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.
Kanye West has been making anti-Semitic comments for quite some time and has recently expressed admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler during the ‘Infowars’ show with ultra Right-wing political commentator, Alex Jones.
“I see good things about Hitler also…This guy… invented highways, invented the very microphone that I used as a musician, you can’t say out loud that this person ever did anything good, and I’m done with that,” he was heard as saying.
“I’m done with the classification, every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler…I like Hitler,” Kanye West remarked.
“Especially Hitler.” Kanye West appears with Alex Jones, expresses admiration for Hitler. (Video: InfoWars) pic.twitter.com/K5f7Xj9sED
Earlier, Elon Musk had clarified that he would not allow the return of Alex Jones on Twitter for calling the Sandy Hook mass shooting, a ‘hoax.’
“My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat. I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame,” he had emphasised.
On December 4, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee celebrated the 16-year anniversary of her hunger strike that led to the exodus of Tata Motors from the state. In a tweet, she wrote, “16 years ago today, I began my hunger strike for the farmers of Singur & the rest of the nation. It was my moral duty to fight for those who were left helpless due to the greed of the powerful. That fight in me lives on. I’ll never let the rights of my people be threatened!”
16 yrs ago today, I began my hunger strike for the farmers of Singur & rest of the nation.
It was my moral duty to fight for those who were left helpless due to the greed of the powerful.
That fight in me lives on. I’ll never let the rights of my people be threatened!
Between 2006 and 2008, Tata Motors attempted to start a manufacturing plant in West Bengal. In 2006, land acquisition for a Tata Motors plant began in Bengal. The land was acquired by the state government, and in 2007, Tata Motors began the ceremonial construction of the plant. However, controversy over the land acquisition process caused problems with the completion of the project.
At that time, CM Mamata Banerjee was the leader of the opposition. Tata was planning to start a manufacturing plant for Tata Nano in Singur, West Bengal. Banerjee was the leader of the opposition in the state. During the process of acquisition of land in previous years, massive protests erupted against the Tata manufacturing plant and the state government. It was alleged that the state government had forcefully acquired multi-crop land from landowners at an inadequate price.
There was a massive protest against land acquisition for the Tata Manufacturing plant. This protest escalated into violence and bloodshed when police forces under the Left Front government opened fire at the protesters. Mamata Banerjee, as the leader of the opposition, led the charge against the same.
She became the frontrunner of the protests and started a movement called “Save Farmland”. Soon, high-profile professional protesters like Medha Patkar, Arundhati Roy and Anuradha Talwar joined the protests to drive Tata Motors away from the state. Following the uproar, Tata Motors finally decided to cancel the project in West Bengal in September 2008 and started the process for the same in Gujarat’s Sanand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time.
“Welcome to Gujarat”: Said the then CM Narendra Modi
As the story goes, when Ratan Tata announced in a press conference in Kolkata that Tata Group was leaving West Bengal, then-CM Modi sent an SMS to Ratan Tata and said, “Welcome to Gujarat” in the message.
Following the message, then-CM Modi not only assured Tata Motors of land to build a massive, state-of-the-art manufacturing factory at Sanand, but the Gujarat government also made sure that the plant got built and started production as soon as possible. Initially, the plant manufactured the Nano model, but later it started producing the Tiago and Tigor models.
In a statement, Ratan Tata said, “I’ll never forget the way he [Modi] found solutions for companies that were looking for a home.”
During an interview with CNBC, Tata said the deal materialised only in three days. When Tata announced they would establish the plant in Gujarat, CM Modi announced it would take just a rupee worth of SMS saying “Welcome to Gujarat” to get Rs 2,000 crore of investment from Tata.
Tata said in the interview, “What I have stated is [that] he invited me to move the factory to Gujarat, and I said we’d come if we had a home. He [Modi] said I’ll get you the land you want in three days. And then he delivered that on the third morning. He said, ‘Ratanji, here’s the land that I promised.” Praising PM Modi for fulfilling the promise of delivering land in just three days, Tata added, “That does not happen in India.”
Years have passed since the controversy, but the locals at Bengal’s Singur have not forgotten what they did. the majority of the locals who took part in the protests now believe that they were wrong at that time. One of the protestors said, “We got nothing out of the agitation. By using us and later abandoning us to fend for ourselves, political parties served their own interests. No industries came up in the region, and the land returned to us in 2016 is not cultivable. We are living in extreme poverty.”
Netizens react to Banerjee’s ‘celebrations’
CM Banerjee’s tweet did not go well with the netizens. Debjyoti Dasgupta said, “Don’t boast abt Singur. It not only ensured Tatas scram away but also no other industry enters WB. 16 yrs since Singur What has Bengal gained since then?”. Harshad Joshi replied to Dasgupta and said, “Illegal Bangladeshis only, nothing else.”
Dr Anima Burman said, “You are an opportunist. You are a street-level fighter in the true sense and you should have remained at that level always. You neither possess the quality nor the dignity of the post of Chief minister. The sooner you vacate the chair the better it will be.”
You are an https://t.co/J9BZL4JHWx are a street level fighter in the true sense and you should have remained at that level https://t.co/3TTVwkT4BO neither possess the quality nor the dignity of the post of Chief minister.The sooner you vacate the chair the better will it be.
Dr Avirak KS said, “It was the beginning of the end. A typical example could be how Ratan tata wanted to initiate the tata motors factory in Kolkata. Didi did her best to evade him, killing all employment and growth opportunities. Thus he shifted his plans to Gujrat and they made the best of it.”
It was the beginning of the end. Typical example could be how Ratan tata wanted to initiate the tata motors factory in Kolkata. Didi did her best to evade him thereby killing all employment and growth opportunities. Thus he shifted his plans to Gujrat and they made best of it.
Following Tata’s investment in Gujarat, several other companies showed interest in the state, rapidly taking the state to the position of one of India’s most affluent states. On the other hand, the farmers of Singur have come to realize what mistake they did 16 years ago.
On December 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast vote in the Gujarat Assembly elections. He is a voter from the Sabarmati constituency and cast his vote at a polling station setup at a High School in Ahmedabad’s Ranip.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Prime Minister Narendra Modi casts his vote for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections at Nishan Public school, Ranip#GujaratElectionspic.twitter.com/snnbWEjQ8N
At around 9 AM he left Gandhinagar Raj Bhawan for Nishan Public School.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Gandhinagar Raj Bhawan to cast his vote for the Gujarat Assembly elections at Nishan Public School, Ranip.#GujaratElections2022pic.twitter.com/gt9Rmg2tes
Before leaving to cast his vote, PM Modi urged voters to turn out in large numbers. Notably, by-polls are also happening at several locations. In his tweet, PM Modi said, “Urging all those who are voting in Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections, particularly the young voters and women voters to vote in large numbers. I will be casting my vote in Ahmedabad at around 9 AM.”
Urging all those who are voting in Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections, particularly the young voters and women voters to vote in large numbers. I will be casting my vote in Ahmedabad at around 9 AM.
In a follow-up tweet, PM Modi urged voters for constituencies where by-polls are taking place to turn out in large numbers. He said, “There are also by-polls taking place in different parts of India. I urge those whose seats are witnessing these by-polls to turn out in large numbers and vote.”
There are also by-polls taking place in different parts of India. I urge those whose seats are witnessing these by-polls to turnout in large numbers and vote.
Gujarat Assembly elections took place in two phases. Voting for the first phase took place on December 1. The second and final phase of voting took place on December 5. The results will be announced on December 8. Notably, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections results will also be announced on December 8. On the other hand, the results for Delhi MCD elections will be announced on December 7.
A very clinical French side continued their march towards successive World Cup triumphs as they defeated Poland by 3 goals to 1. Spurred on by the goals from two strikers at the opposing ends of their careers, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, the french move to the Quarter Finals where they will meet the winner of England vs Senegal, a match to be held later tonight.
Olivier Giroud, who scored the first goal to break the deadlock just before halftime, went past the legendary French striker Thierry Henry as the highest-scoring French player. Henry scored 51 goals for France during his illustrious career, today’s goal was Giroud’s 52nd strike for his country.
While Giroud is in the twilight of his career, Kylian Mbappe is still very much at the start of his, even though he is a World Cup winner already in Russia. Mbappe settled the tie with a brilliant strike to get the second goal for France and extinguished any hopes of a comeback for Poland. Not satisfied with that, he put an exclamation mark on France’s performance with another brilliant strike right at the end.
Poland got a consolation goal right at the end when they got a penalty after Kamil Grosicki’s cross hit Dayot Upamecano’s arm. Lewandowski’s initial penalty was saved by French captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris but the officials decided Lloris moved too soon. Lewandowski put the retaken penalty past Lloris to make the scoreline somewhat respectable for Poland.
The end result may make it seem like one way traffic in favour of France but it wasn’t always so during the game. Piotr Zielinski had a great chance to give Poland the lead when the score was 0-0 but he shot straight at French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and the rebound was blocked by French defenders.
However, once Giroud put the French ahead thanks to an Mbappe assist, there was no looking back for France. They totally dominated the second half and Mbappe, who provided the assist for the first goal, stepped up with two crackers of finishes to put the tie beyond Poland.
France now await the winner of England vs Senegal in their Quarter Final, while Poland heads home.
Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, an ISIS terrorist, has been charged with terror offences in Australia after he was extradited from Turkey. While all media in Australia and across the world has reported the development, all of them deliberately tried to insinuate that he is not a Muslim.
All media reports used his former name Neil Prakash, which sounds like the name of a Hindu from India. While his original was indeed Neil Prakash, it is no longer his name. He was originally Buddhist, and he converted to Islam in 2012. After converting to Islam, Neil Prakash adopted the name Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, referring to his Cambodian root.
Abu Khaled al-Cambodi was born in Melbourne in Australia to an Indo-Fijian father and Cambodian mother. He said that when he visited Cambodia with his family, he saw that Buddhist people were worshipping idols in temples, and he was disgusted by it. Therefore, after returning to Melbourne in 2012, he learned that one of his friends was invited and had converted to Islam. Following his friend, he also converted in that year and joined the terror group in 2014.
Reports referring to Abu Khaled al-Cambodi as Neil Prakash
Since then, he has been using the name Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, for some reason, the media keeps using his old name Neil Prakash, which definitely creates a wrong impression about his religious affiliation.
More importantly, the media reports dos not even mention that he is now known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, and only used his old name in the reports. There is no mention that he converted to Islam from Buddhism and changed his name to an Islamic name before joining ISIS.
This seems to a deliberate attempt by media houses to suggest that the ISIS terrorist is not Muslim.
It is notable that these are the same media houses that insist on referring to a man as a woman if he identifies himself as a woman, and cancels people for referring to such people with their birth gender even if such people have not undergone any sex change procedure. But here, Neil Prakash converted to Islam from Buddhism, and changed his name to Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, but the media houses still refer to his earlier name.
Abu Khaled is accused of travelling to Syria to take part in the terror activities of ISIS. Among the charges that he is facing in Australia include engaging in hostile activity in a foreign state and country, being a member of a terrorist organisation, supporting and advocating for terrorism. He has also been named in two terror plots in Australia.
Abu Khaled al-Cambodi had become a prolific online supporter of ISIS, and had released several videos appealing to Australians to join the terror group. In April 2016, it was wrongly assumed that he had died in an air strike by the USA in Iraq, but had survived with injuries.
His association with the terror group did not last long. He was arrested in 2016 in Turkey after entering the country for Syria, on the charges of fighting for ISIS. While Australia had requested his extradition as an arrest warrant was issued in Australia also in 2016, the Turkish govt had rejected it and was put on trial. In 2018, Australia revoked his citizenship, saying that he will not become stateless as he was also a Fijian citizen through his father. But Fiji rejected this claim and denied him citizenship in 2019.
A Turkish court sentenced him to seven and a half years in 2019. As he had already served time in jail during the trial since his arrest in 2016, his term was completed in February 2022. He was moved to an immigration detention centre as both Australia and Fiji refused to grant him citizenship.
However, Abu Khaled al-Cambodi was deported from Turkey to Australia last week, and he was flown to Darwin where he was arrested by Australian Federal Police. After that, a court in Darwin ordered his extradition to Victoria, and now is facing trial in Melbourne Magistrate’s court.
His arrest in Australia came after a joint investigation by Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police as part of a counter-terrorism operation since his arrest in Turkey.
On Friday (December 2), leftist propaganda outlet Newslaundry desperately attempted to whitewash the ‘sins’ of a Turkey-based, Pakistan-funded ‘terrorist‘ named Mukhtar Baba. Apart from separatist terror activities, Baba is also known for issuing threats to journalists based in Kashmir.
In an article written by Newslaundry reporter Ayush Tiwari, he tried to portray Mukhtar as an ex-journalist, supposedly under attack from the Indian State. From the very onset of the article, he was hellbent on giving an image makeover to Mukhtar Baba by consciously substituting terrorism with ‘militancy.’
The attempt by Mukhtar in the 1990s to undermine India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was dubbed the ‘fight for Kashmiri separatism.’ Newslaundry went on to romanticise his supposed decision of ‘giving up the gun’ and starting life afresh, as a journalist.
Screengrab of the article by News Laundry
The report expressed displeasure at the intelligence dossier, prepared by security agencies, wherein it accused Mukhtar Baba of masterminding threats to over 40 journalists in the Kashmir Valley. Ayush Tiwari conveyed his angst through the deliberate use of words such as ‘purported’, and ‘unnamed security agencies’.
He wrote, “Baba, in these media reports, wasn’t an alleged terror operative, or a former journalist purportedly accused by security agencies of being a terrorist, but a straight-up Turkey-based terror operative.” With this, the portal directly suggested that Mukhtar Baba is actually not a terrorist, but has been painted as a terrorist by the media and police.
Newslaundry went on to suggest that the intelligence dossier was prepared by analysing the social media activity of Mukthar Baba. “…At least some of the claims seem to come from Baba’s social media activity which includes pictures of him in Turkey in 2020 and 2021,” the report claimed.
Exhibit D:
On Aug 5, 2022, Mukhtar attended an event of a Pak-backed org LFOVK as spokesperson of Masarat Alam. LFOVK had carried out a hitjob against Indian Army Chief & India’s HM in January 2021, in collab with Turkey-backed firm, Stoke White LLC.
The leftist propaganda outlet also downplayed the fact that Mukhtar Baba went to Pakistan as a spokesperson for Masarat Alam Bhat, who has been serving jail time for masterminding stone-pelting protests in Kashmir in 2010.
A popular Twitter user (@OSINTWa_com), which specialises in Open Source Intelligence Analysis, pointed out that Mukhtar attended an event of Pak-based the Legal Forum for Oppressed Voices of Kashmir (LFOVK).
Citing Disinfo Lab, it added that carried LFOVK carried out a hitjob against the Indian Army Chief & India’s Home Minister in January 2021, in collaboration with Turkey-backed firm, Stoke White LLC.
Rubaiya Sayeed abduction case and Newslaundry’s attempt at contextualisation
Newslaundry tried to contextualise the decision of Mukhtar to become a terrorist and then went on to blame the police for pushing him to the jaws of extremism.
“A victory celebration ensued in Srinagar, but it was targeted by the police. It was this crackdown that pushed Baba to militancy,” the report insinuated. While the portal wrote that Mukhtar Baba had himself had admitted that he had joined terrorism, they still went on to claim that he was painted as a terrorist by the media and police. The Newslaundry article cites a BBC report from 2009 where Baba told BBC that he took up guns to take on India.
“The German people stood up against that man-made Berlin wall, so we thought why don’t we, and we started that armed struggle here,” Mukhtar Baba was quoted in the BBC report, which was cited by NewsLaundry, but still the portel does not believe that he is a terrorist, and accuses media of wrongly labelling him a terrorist.
Ayush Tiwari, the Newslaundry reporter, made the claims in the context of the Rubaiya Sayeed abduction case of 1989.
The Indian government was forced to release 5 terrorists to ensure the safe return of Rubaiya, the sister of Mehbooba Mufti and the daughter of Mufti Mohammad Saeed.
Rubaiya Sayeed with father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed after being released by terrorists
Following the release of the terrorists associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), local supporters took to the streets in celebration. The police clamped down on the terror sympathisers to restore law and order situation.
According to Newslaundry, this became a turning point in the life of Mukhtar Baba that the otherwise ‘innocent man’ had to tread the path of terrorism. The leftist propaganda portal then labelled his association with a Kashmir-based terror outfit, Hizbullah, as ‘affiliation with the militant group.’
While trying to provide an image makeover to Mukhtar, Newslaundry also used the opportunity to label the abrogation of Article 370 as the ‘removal of residual autonomy’ of Jammu and Kashmir.
Exhibit B:
Mukhtar has been in cahoots with #ISI stooge Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur, who was exposed by the Disinfo Lab in 2021 for operating on the Kashmir theatre against India. Both attended a webinar on Kashmir in July 2022 together.
Ayush Tiwari saw to it that the perspective of a ‘terrorist’ cum ‘journalist’, with ties to Pakistan, is included in his article so that the abrogation of Article 370 can be dismissed as ‘draconian.’
“We are back to the bloody stone age, man…We have not been in touch with our families, our friends, and our colleagues. They don’t know whether I’m alive and I don’t know whether they are alive,” Newslaundry quoted Mukhtar Baba as saying.
The leftist propaganda outlet then pointed out how the ‘terrorist’ is not an ordinary man but holds a master’s degree in political science. “Besides journalism, he has dabbled in public relations and was the consulting head of an event management company called Kashmir News Communications between 2000 and 2009,” it added.
Exhibit E:
Mukhtar actively supported Muslim brotherhood propaganda of #BoycottIndianProducts, supported by Qatar, Turkey, & Pak.
This alone is enough to show his loyalties and his agenda.
As expected, the leftist outlet forgot to mention how Mukhtar Baba had demanded the boycott of his India’s products in the aftermath of the Nupur Sharma row.
Twitter user (@OSINTWa_com) pointed out, “Mukhtar actively supported Muslim brotherhood propaganda of #BoycottIndianProducts, supported by Qatar, Turkey, & Pakistan. This alone is enough to show his loyalties and his agenda.”
Newslaundry then went on to cast aspersions about the Indian security apparatus and insinuated that the State is hellbent onintimidating Kashmir-based journalists, including Sanna Irshad Mattoo, who is known for her pro-Pakistani rhetorics and support for Islamic extremists.
The aim of the Newslaundry article is clear, to paint a terrorist, who himself had admitted that he joined armed fight against India, and against whom the intelligence agencies of substantial evidence, as not a terrorist but a victim of a wrongful allegation by media and police.
Amritpal Singh Khalsa, a Sikh preacher and current chief of late actor Deep Sidhu’s organisation ‘Waris Punjab De’, is walking across the state under the banner of ‘Khalsa Vaheer’ or ‘Khalsa March’. The pro-Khalistani preacher took over the organisation after Sidhu’s demise in an accident on February 15, 2022. Sidhu formed ‘Waris Punjab De’ in September 2021 with the aim to “protect the rights of Punjab and raise social issues”.
Soon after Deep Sidhu’s demise in a road accident, in an official announcement, the organisation said that Amritpal Singh would henceforth manage it. However, when the announcement was made, he was not in India and it took him another six months to come back to India and take charge officially. On September 29, 2022, 29-year-old Amritpal Singh Khalsa took charge of ‘Waris Punjab De’. Amritpal is an open Khalistani sympathiser and slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale supporter.
Amritpal Singh even dresses like Bhindranwale, and is accompanied by armed men 24×7, much like the slain terrorist. Currently, he is on a mission to cover Punjab on foot while spreading the idea of “Sikhi”, which is a noble mission in isolation, however, behind the scenes, a lot has been happening that is raising alarms.
The way Amritpal is expanding his grip on Punjab has a striking similarity with the way Bhindranwale first rose to prominence. His sudden popularity among the youth, especially those who find themselves in sync with Khalistan ideology, has put the security agencies on high alert. So much so, that in October 2022, The Central Home Ministry issued an advisory to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government to be cautious of Amritpal’s activities.
Amritpal’s event at Bhindranwale’s native village
On 29 September, Amritpal Singh visited Bhindranwale’s native village Rode, district Moga, Punjab. Those who are aware of the Khalistani insurgency in Punjab, and the ideology that revolves around Bhindranwale, must be aware of the fact that his place holds utmost importance for the Khalistani sympathisers.
A ‘Turban Tying’ ceremony was held for Amritpal Singh at Gurudwara Sant Khalsa, a place of worship for Sikhs built in memory of Bhindranwale. The ceremony was attended by Jasvir Singh Rode who is a family member of Bhindranwale. His elder brother Harcharan Singh Rode attended the ceremony via video conferencing from the US. It appears that the idea behind conducting the ceremony in Bhindranwale’s village was to give the impression that Amritpal Singh is the true successor to Bhindranwale and can lead the Khalistani movement, and it worked to large extent.
Amritpal Singh and his speech promoting the idea of Khalistan
Addressing the public amidst the slogans of ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’, Amritpal Singh said, “Bhindranwale is my inspiration. I will walk the path shown by him. I want to be like him because that’s what every Sikh wants, but I am not copying him. I am not even equal to the dust of his feet.”
He further said, “Each drop of my blood is dedicated to the freedom of our community. Our battle started from this village in the past, future battles will also start from here. We all are still slaves. We have to fight for freedom. Our waters are being looted, our Guru is being disrespected. The entire youth of Punjab should be ready to give up their lives for the sect. People like Sidhu, who was on Guru’s duty, can never die in accidents. We know how he died, who killed him.”
Amritpal Singh targeted Hindus coming to Punjab from UP, Bihar, and other states
Amritpal Singh has been consistently making derogatory and distasteful comments against the members of other communities. For him, a lot that has been happening around are signs that Sikhs are living as slaves. During his speech at Rode following the Turban Tying ceremony, he said, “If you think Sikhs are living a free life, it will be better if you wash your face. Look around at what has been happening. Our turbans are being removed daily on roads. Our mothers and sisters are being harassed.” He also mentioned the court-mandated compensation for the family of the person who was killed on suspicion of sacrilege as a sign of slavery.
He made derogatory remarks against Hindus coming from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh. He said, “They come here and worship idols, sell cigarettes and drugs.” Addressing the crowd present at the event he said, “If you do not want such things to happen in your village, take action.” He urged the young Sikhs to take strict action against anyone who smokes around them. He said, “You are raising slogans here echoing my words. Make sure you do not change your path once you go back home.”
In a speech, Amritpal also challenged Dera Sachha Sauda and its leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Notably, a Dera building is being constructed in Sunam, Punjab, Speaking to the media, Amritpal stated that the activities of Dera should not be allowed by the administration to ensure peace and stability in the region.
He pointed out alleged links of Dera to sacrilege incidents, Maur Mandi blasts, and more and claimed he would not let the building be completed. Furthermore, he also targeted the followers of Radha Soami Satsang Beas over the September 5 clash between them and Nihangs outside Beas headquarters. The incident took place when the two groups clashed over cows crossing onto the land owned by Dera Beas. Amritpal deliberately talked about withdrawing cases against the Nihangs but did not try to blame Radha Soamis for the incident.
Not to forget, in the last few months attacks on Hindus in Punjab have increased by several folds. Prominent Hindu leader Sudhir Suri was brutally gunned down in Ludhiana in presence of senior police officials. Suri was sitting in protest when the attack happened. Following his murder, Hindu leaders who were on the target list of Khalistani terrorists were asked not to leave their houses by security agencies.
Furthermore, the person who allegedly shot Suri dead was also seen with Amritpal Singh. A video surfaced on social media where the accused Sandeep Singh was seen getting blessings from Amritpal Singh for his son. Khalistani sympathiser Gopal Singh Chawla who resides in Pakistan also issued a video message congratulating the murderers of Suri. He also threatened other Hindu leaders with a similar fate.
It is pertinent to note that similar incidents happened during the insurgency under the leadership of Bhindranwale. There is a video of Bhindranwale available where he was heard threatening to kill Hindus. In the video, he said, “I had warned them if they did not release our bus, I will kill 5,000 Hindus in one hour.”
Murder of Lala Jagat Narain and its aftermath
Like Sudhir Suri, a prominent media personality Lala Jagat Narain was also killed by Khalistani terrorists at the beginning of Khalistan terrorism in Punjab last time. Lala Jagat Narain was shot dead by assailants in September 1981, and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s name surfaced in the murder case. He was arrested by the Punjab Police from a Gurudwara at Mehta Chowk, Amritsar. However, due to political pressure and a statement by the then-Home Minister Zail Singh suggesting Bhindranwale was not involved in the murder, he was released.
Following his release, Bhindranwale went to Delhi with his associates and circled the national capital flaunting guns and other weapons openly. Similarly, despite his support for Khalistan, Amritpal Singh was allowed to conduct a march across Punjab. He is accompanied by armed men just like Bhindranwale, clearly showing who he is trying to emulate.
The war against ‘social evils’
Bhindranwale rose to fame because of his war against social evils. When he started preaching Sikhism across Punjab and urged the youth to get baptized, there was a drug problem in the state. He raised his voice against drugs, smoking, and other social evils including dowry and atrocities against women.
Interestingly, he became so powerful that he started holding personal courts and no one dared to oppose his rulings. In a similar manner, Amritpal Singh is finding space in the heart of youth and oppressed in the state by raging war against the ‘social evils’. Furthermore, Bhindranwale ran campaigns to bring people back to Sikhi. Hundreds of thousands of youth and those who were not following the rules of Sikhism got baptized under the leadership of Bhindranwale.
As per reports, since Amritpal Singh got baptized at Rode during the ‘Turban Tying’ ceremony, he has been baptizing youth and bringing them into Sikhism’s fold. On September 25, it was reported that over 900 Sikhs and Hindus were baptized by Amritpal Singh at Anandpur Sahib. During his march across Punjab, he is running a continuous campaign to baptize Sikhs and Hindus. On October 9, it was reported he baptized 647 Sikhs and Hindus in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The striking similarities between the two leaders who promoted the idea of Khalistan are more than enough to raise red flags.
Governments ignored red flags in the initial years
Despite the attack on Hindus, Bhindranwale almost ran a parallel government in the state. He kept on giving inflammatory speeches and more, while the then-government in both state and center ignored the initial signs of distress and did not take enough measures to suppress the insurgency. When Bhindranwale was arrested by the Police in Lala Jagat Narain’s murder case, the Khalistani terrorists were so furious that they even hijacked a plane to get him released.
There were a series of murders after Bhindranwale’s arrest as well for retaliation. Still, the government at the centre decided to release Bhindranwale. It was a crucial mistake as following his release, Bhindranwale was never arrested again. It was only during Operation Blue Star that he was gunned down by the armed forces. It took almost 20 years for the governments to suppress the Khalistani movement after letting it grow initially.
In the case of Amritpal Singh, though the central government has issued a warning to keep an eye on amritpal’s movement and actions, the Punjab government has done very little to suppress the re-emergence of the Khalistani movement. Till now, it was only Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of Sikhs For Justice who was actively speaking for Khalistan, and that too from the US. However, Amritpal Singh is right here in Punjab and right there among the people. He is interacting with people on the roads of the state that is still to fully recover from 2 decades of terrorism it witnessed.
On October 31, it was reported that Amritpal Singh said he would back every Khalistani movement. While speaking to the media from Golden Temple, Singh said the demand of Khalistan was being raised as per Indian Law.
Leaders and experts raise concerns
The attacks on Hindus have increased in the past few weeks which is a worrying sign as per the experts. Speaking to Republic TV, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “It is being done under the watch of Arvind Kejriwal. AAP is basically deliberately organising these pro-Khalistani rallies. Earlier also such pro-Khalistani rallies have been organised in different parts of Punjab. I would like to alert the government machinery not to play with the security of Punjab as it could lead to the collapse of law and order in the state. The AAP government must introspect because Punjab is a border state. If Amritpal is asking for ‘Mahapunjab’ then why doesn’t he go to Pakistan?”
Former Cabinet Minister and BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla also expressed concerns over Amritpal Singh’s actions. In a statement on November 21, she said, “Maybe he is the agent of some agencies which is required to be probed and his Khalistani utterings could prove to be perilous to the state’s hard-earned peace and vitiate the atmosphere.”
On November 21, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress President Punjab said, “We welcome and appreciate baptizing youth & bringing them close to Sikhi, but for Gurus’ sake, don’t promote weapons which will eventually lead to violence. We have already paid a heavy price. Those horrible memories are still haunting us. Please don’t push Punjab again into the dark era.”
We welcome & appreciate baptising youth & bringing them close to Sikhi, but for Gurus’ sake don’t promote weapons which will eventually lead to violence. We have already paid heavy price. Those horrible memories are still haunting us. Please don’t push Punjab again into dark era. pic.twitter.com/JUFSL76Lq7
Former Congress Chief Minister of Punjab and current BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh said, “People of Punjab want to know who are the forces behind this youth who had recently moved to Punjab from Dubai… It is the duty and responsibility of the state government to confront such forces and their activities.” He warned the AAP government to wake up against Amritpal’s activities. Amarinder Singh also wrote to Punjab’s police chief Gaurav Yadav expressing concerns over Amritpal’s increasing popularity.
Notably, DGP Yadav in a statement had said that though Amritpal is free to preach his religion, strict action will be taken against him if he indulges in anything unlawful. However, despite issuing a warning directed towards Amritpal, his associates continued to circle him armed with lethal weapons including guns. Not to forget, Gaurav Yadav recently issued a warning against uploading content promoting gun culture and asked everyone to remove such content from social media. OpIndia tried to get in touch with DGP Yadav but could not connect.
There is very little information available about Amritpal Singh in the public domain. He was born Amritpal Singh Sandhu in 1993 and hails from Jallupur Khera Village in Tehsil Baba Bakala, district Amritsar. After completing his education till the 12th standard, he left for Dubai in 2012 and worked in the transport sector. In 2022, after spending ten years in Dubai, he returned to India and took over Deep Sidhu’s organisation. Other than that, his life before being announced as head of ‘Waris Punjab De’ largely remains a mystery.
On Monday, December 5, Gujarat will see the second and final phase of the ongoing assembly elections. Candidates on 93 seats in North and Central Gujarat will see their fate decided during this phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also cast his vote tomorrow at a polling booth in Ranip, Ahmedabad.
The district administration has been in charge of making all arrangements to ensure a seamless voting experience at the booth. Nishan High School, like in previous years, has been designated as the polling site where the PM will be voting.
According to Aniruddh Gadhvi, Chief Fire Officer, an alternate route has been planned for smooth traffic movement. He stated that fire department officers will be on standby and an emergency evacuation plan has also been planned.
Ahmedabad | Alternate route is planned for traffic. Fire Dept officers will be on standby. Emergency evacuation plan also prepared: Aniruddh Gadhvi, Chief Fire Officer, AMC on preparations at Ranip polling booth where PM Modi will cast his vote for Gujarat Assembly polls tomorrow pic.twitter.com/dUJ18sPlWF
In the 2017 assembly elections in the state, Prime Minister Modi cast his vote at the same polling booth of the Sabarmati constituency in the Ahmedabad district. PM Modi, dressed in a white Kurta Pajama and a navy blue jacket, waited in line and spoke with those waiting to vote. After casting his vote, the PM smilingly showed his inked finger to the public outside.
The last phase of voting will take place in Gujarat tomorrow with the counting of ballots set to take place on December 8. According to the findings of opinion polls conducted by India TV-Matriz and ABP-CVoter, the BJP will once again return to power in the state with an absolute majority.
According to the India TV-Matriz survey, BJP is going to win more than 117 seats in the elections. The potential vote share of the BJP is around 50%.
According to the ABP-CVoter survey, the BJP will form a government with a historic majority. They predict that the BJP will get around 140 seats making it a historic win for the incumbent dispensation.
On December 4, Sunday, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad sparked controversy by saying that giving election tickets to women is against Islam and doing so weakens the religion. “Those who give election tickets to Muslim women are against Islam, weakening the religion. Are there no men left,” said Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad. He also asked if there is no men left in Islam that women are being given tickets.
The Imam also said that Islam does not allow Muslim women to come out in front of the public, that’s why they are not allowed to enter mosques for namaaz, and therefore they should also be not allowed to enter the legislature.
Talking to ANI, Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui said, ‘you just saw namaaz being offered, did you see any woman? And in Islam namaaz has been given the highest importance. If women coming out in open like this was allowed in Islam, they would not have been barred from the masjid. Why they are barred from mosques? Because there is a place for women in Islam. Therefore who are giving tickets to Muslim women are revolting against Islam’.
The Shahi Imam went on to say that an outrage erupted in Karnataka around a ban on hijabs in government schools, “but if Muslim women become MLAs, councillors etc, then the Hijab cannot be protected. Because in that case, the government will argue that your women are contesting elections, sitting on Municipal boards, speaking on stage, etc. In Islam, Aurat’s voice is also Aurat,” Shahi Imam Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui said. He added that when Muslim women contest elections, they have to address election rallies, visit houses of voters regardless of their religion, and therefore such women can’t maintain their hijab.
Furthermore, he asked if there are no Muslim men left that Muslim women are being made to contest elections. “Had there been a law that only women can contest election then the case was different. In Delhi also, I have noticed that in Delhi also they are giving tickets to young women, thinking that if women are taken into control then the whole family will automatically come under control,” he said.
#WATCH | Those who give election tickets to Muslim women are against Islam, weakening the religion. Are there no men left?: Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad#Gujaratpic.twitter.com/5RpYLG7gqW
Notably, Shahi Imam of Ahmedabad Jama Masjid has time and again made inflammatory remarks. On December 3, he urged Muslim voters to vote for a single party rather than splitting their votes as they did in 2012.
Siddiqui said in a statement to ABP news that Muslims are messaging each other on WhatsApp and reminding each other of the 2012 elections. During the 2012 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate won the Muslim-majority seat of Jamalpur because Muslim votes were divided.
Interestingly, in 2012, local leader Sabir Kabliwala ran against the Muslim candidate fielded by Congress and received over 30,000 votes. Consequently, BJP was able to claim victory by a margin of 6,000 votes. AIMIM has fielded Kabliwala from Jamalpur’s seat in the current elections.
