In world full of bitterness and hate, it was the outpouring of support and comfort from the ones who know how important words are that made the day of this new author who was bummed after only two people turned up for her author signing event.
Only 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it. Especially as 37 people responded "going" to the event. Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.
First time author Chelsea Banning on Monday took to Twitter to lament that only two people had turned up at her author signing event even though 37 had responded that they would come. She said she was kind of upset and ‘a little embarrassed’. The tweet garnered a lot of attention with support and encouragement pouring from all quarters. Including some of the bestselling authors of our time.
Terry Pratchett and I did a signing in Manhattan for Good Omens that nobody came to at all. So you are two up on us.
Neil Gaiman, award winning author of bestsellers such as American Gods, Stardust and the comic book series The Sandman, said that Terry Pratchett and himself did a signing at Manhattan for Good Omens, a novel written by the two British authors in collaboration, and nobody had come up for it. “So you are two up on us,” he said.
Join the club. I did a signing to which Nobody came, except a guy who wanted to buy some Scotch tape and thought I was the help. 🙂
Margaret Atwood, award winning Canadian author shared how once when she did a signing, nobody had come except for one person who had walked in to buy some Scotch tape and he mistook her for the store help.
At my first SALEM'S LOT signing, I had one customer. A fat kid who said, "Hey bud, do you know where there's some Nazi books?"
Adding to more such book signing disasters, author Stephen King, while responding to another author said how once when he was sitting alone for book signing for Salem’s Lot, a ‘fat kid’ came and asked him about ‘Nazi books’. These days, Stephen King and Twitter’s new owner billionaire Elon Musk often spar on the microblogging platform.
I did a signing in Cambridge and only one person showed up. He didn't buy a book; he just wanted to tell someone that he'd had a dream about being a wizard.
Science Fiction author Gareth Powell said how once he did a signing in Cambridge and only one person showed up who also wanted to tell someone he had a dream about being a wizard.
Many bestselling authors have had their moments of setbacks. While on topic of wizards, Harry Potter author JK Rowling was rejected 12 times before Barry Cunningham, who ran the children’s literature department at Bloomsbury picked it up.
And while Chelsea is thrilled at the turn of events, it is an absolute delight to see the celebrities come out and share their stories of struggles to comfort a newbie.
As India witnesses 30th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition that took place in the year 1992, several Muslim Twitter users are trending hashtags like ‘Babri Zinda Hai’, ‘6 December’, ‘Babri Masjid’, etc on Twitter to post hateful comments against the Hindu community. On December 6, 1992, hundreds of Karsevaks had brought down the disputed structure at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
One Twitter user named Baseri Faizal termed the day as ‘Black Day’ and stated that the ‘Babri Masjid was martyred to build a temple there’. “Be kept barren, but that place in India is being remembered as Babri Masjid on 6 December! And there will always be a very deep impression on the name mark and it cannot be erased so easily,” he tweeted.
#BabriMasjid was martyred built a temple there, Be kept barren, but that place in India is being remembered as Babri Masjid on 6 December ! ?And there will always be a very deep impression the name mark cannot be erased ❌ so easily !! #BlackDay ⚫ 6 December pic.twitter.com/kLjA1IpbNH
Another one named Mohammed Nayeem posted a video of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi in which he could be heard saying that the Muslims never fought for the land but for their rights. Owaisi in the video could also be seen instigating the crowd against the Hindus. “Babri Masjid we can never forget you!! InshAllah 6 December 1992 was a black day,” Nayeem captioned the video.
A fan house of AIMIM leader Akhtarul Iman shared a few images from the incident that happened in the year 1992 and said that wounds allegedly given by Hindus were still fresh. “It was Nehru who got the idol installed in the mosque, it was Rajiv Gandhi who got the lock of Babri opened, it was Narasimha Rao who got Babri martyred! Babri Masjid is alive and will remain alive in our hearts till doomsday,” the tweet read.
अपने सीनों में मेरे ज़ख्म को ताज़ा रखना , मेरी तामीर का फिरसे तुम इरादा रखना मस्जिद में मूर्ति रखवाने वाला नेहरू था, बाबरी का ताला खुलवाने वाला राजीव गांधी था, बाबरी शहीद कराने वाला नरसिम्हा राव था! बाबरी मस्जिद ज़िंदा है और क़यामत तक हमारे दिलों में ज़िंदा रहेगा#BabriZindaHaipic.twitter.com/THrrfkEYIZ
Meanwhile, many more users shared the image of the disputed structure of the Babri Masjid and indicated that ‘the fallen shall rise one day’. Many also posted hateful comments against the Hindu community stating that the Masjid was illegally demolished.
Ilyas, a Muslim Twitter user alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) and the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members illegally demolished the disputed structure. He also called the then BJP members as ‘terrorists’. “6th December 1992. 30 years ago, a Mob of RSS, and BJP Terrorists attacked Babri Masjid and illegally demolished it. Culprits were never punished instead they were glorified by the majority of the Indian society,” he tweeted adding the hashtag that read ‘Babri awaits justice’.
Mohammed Saquib Anwar who identifies himself as ‘Anti Islamophobia social media activist against injustice’ tweeted, “30 years have passed, 300 years may also pass, but Babri Masjid will be built at the same place, Insha Allah, right by the hands of Gurba.”
30 साल गुज़र गये हैं 300 साल भी गुज़र सकते है लेकिन बाबरी मस्जिद इंशा अल्लाह उसी जगह तामीर की जायेगी गुरबा के हाथों ही सही,
निकल के सहरा से जिस ने रूमा की सल्तनत को उलट दिया था, सुना है ये क़ुदसियों से मैंने वो शेर फिर होशियार होगा ! — डॉ अल्लामा इक़बाल रह०#BabriZindahaipic.twitter.com/1PwQLmD4Rw
— Md Saquib Anwar محمد ثاقب انور (@MdSaquibAnwar14) December 5, 2022
One named Mohammed Sadab Sheikh also tweeted and posted hateful comments against the Hindu Kar Sevaks. “Babri Masjid was not just a mosque, it had history engraved on it. And on December 6, 1992, its demolition by Hindu Kar Sevaks raised a question about India’s future as a secular nation. 30 years of Babri Masjid Demolition. We will never forget, will never forgive,” he said.
Babri Masjid was not just a mosque- it had history engraved on it. And on December 6, 1992, its demolition by Hindu Kar Sevaks raised a question over India’s future as a secular nation. 30 years of #BabriMasjidDemolition We will never forget, We never forgive. #BabriZindaHaipic.twitter.com/tWtfrpOdGa
Dr Asma Zehra Tayeba, a woman activist of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, also President of Shariah Committee Hyderabad tweeted, “We shall not forget. And We will remember this day.’Yaume Shahadat’. Masajid is center markaz of the Muslim community. The fall of the Babri masjid and the conditions of Muslims in the last 30 yrs need introspection. Today is Yaume Ehtesaab also. We have to face Yaume Hashr.”
#babrimasjid We shall not forget. And We will remember this day.’Yaume Shahadat’.Masajid are centre markaz of Muslim community. Fall of Babri masjid and conditions of Muslims in last 30 yrs need introspection. Today is Yaume Ehtesaab also. We have to face Yaume Hashr… pic.twitter.com/8ITFO52IE6
The Babri structure was symbolic of brute strength, of how native culture was subjugated, and how the universally adored Lord Ram was shown his position by the invaders. It was a dark symbol of tyranny and barbarism. On December 6, the disputed structure in Ayodhya was brought down by various Hindu activists in 1992. While the day is termed the ‘Black Day’ by the Islamist community, the day is marked as Shaurya Divas by others.
BJP leader T Raja Singh from Telangana saluted the kar sevaks on whose sacrificial foundation the “Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple” in Ayodhya is taking shape with complete grandeur. “First martyr Ram Kothari on 6 December 1992. Tribute to Sharad Kothari and crores of people who sacrificed their lives in Karseva! Jai Shree Ram,” he tweeted.
6 दिसम्बर 1992 #शौर्य_दिवस पर प्रथम शहीद राम कोठारी – शरद कोठारी एवं कारसेवा में अपना बलिदान देने वाले कोटि-कोटि जनों को श्रद्धांजलि!
उन सभी कारसेवकों को कोटिशः नमन जिनकी बलिदानी नींव पर अयोध्या में “श्रीराम जन्मभूमि मन्दिर” सम्पूर्ण भव्यता के साथ आकार ले रहा है।
One of the Hindu activists also shared a video of the former Governor of Rajasthan Kalyan Singh who could be heard saying, “No Regret, No Repentance, No Sorrow, No Grief.” “Remembering brave Son of Maa Bharti Ram Bhakt Kalyan Singh Ji on Shaurya Diwas. Feeling Proud of Shaurya Diwas. Jai Shree Ram,” tweet by Sameet Thakkar read.
No Regret, No Repentance, No Sorrow, No Grief….
Remembering brave Son of Maa Bharti Ram Bhakt Kalyan Singh Ji on Shaurya Diwas.
On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court of India favoured Ram Lalla Virajmaan and handed over the disputed land to the Hindus in its landmark judgment. The court had asked the central government to form a trust that will take over the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was formed in February 2020. On August 5, Bhoomipujan was performed at Ram Janmabhoomi to begin the construction of the temple in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders and saints. The construction of the temple is expected to complete by December 2023.
On December 5, The News Minute editor-in-chief Dhanya Rajendran endorsed Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police’s statement where he had asked not to make hasty arrests in “mutual romantic cases”. She further “hoped” that other states implement such directions as well. In her tweet, she said, “This is such an important directive from the TN DGP. I hope other states emulate it. Don’t make hasty arrests in mutual romantic cases: TN DGP to police on POCSO cases.”
Source: Twitter
Rajendran in her tweet missed out on a very important detail in her tweet. The statement by the TN’s DGP C Sylendra Babu came in the light of the circular issued to the Investigating Officers of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act not to make hasty arrests in mutual romantic relationships, especially for the couples in the tribal communities in the hilly areas. Her tweet gave the impression that the direction from the DGP was targeted to all the cases that fall under POCSO Act which is not true.
Rajendran gave context after netizens called her out
The tweet by Rajendran resulted in sharp criticism from the netizens following which she gave “context” to the matter. Replying to a Twitter user who called it preposterous, she said, “Direction talks about a case involving two minors.” The Twitter user Barbarindian had questioned if the direction was for cases where the girl was minor but the man was not. He asked, “Even if the girl is say 16 and the man 25? This is preposterous.”
In a follow-up tweet, she said, “For everyone who thinks this is a change to IPC etc, nope. The directive is asking cops to use discernment case by case. That arrest should not be the first thing to fall back on.”
For everyone who thinks this is a change to IPC etc, nope. The directive is asking cops to use discernment case by case. That arrest should not be the first thing to fall back on. https://t.co/oBMHafoYlb
In an interesting conversation under the tweet by Rajendran, a Twitter user Monteskw pointed out that based on her tweet, it appeared that the DGP was reading down a legal provision. Replying to him, the Assistant Resident Editor of The News Minute Ranjitha Gunasekaran tried to explain the situation and clarified that this was not the case where one of the partners is an adult.
Gunasekaran said, “HCs and SC have said POCSO not intended to criminalise consensual relations between minors.” When the Twitter user pointed out that only bail was given by the court and the charges were quashed in a matter, she pointed out remarks made by the Madras High Court in 2021 where the court suggested POCSO was not for adolescents and teenagers indulged in romantic relationships.
HCs and SC have said POCSO not intended to criminalise consensual relations between minors
When the Twitter user pointed out that the High Court did not ask the Police to act in the way it has been projected and the Law “doesn’t recognise any romantic relationships involving minors. In isolated cases courts may give relief,” Gunasekaran specifically mentioned that the circular did not stop the officials from investigating the matter and only says not to make hasty arrests. Her tweet was retweeted by Rajendran. Interestingly, her tweet did not project the situation as explained by Gunasekaran which led to sharp criticism from netizens.
The circular does not say not to investigate. Doesn’t say not to arrest. Says not to make “hasty” arrests in such cases. If arrest to made, SP rank official must permit. Else inquiry as per CrPC. If arrest not made, it must be recorded in case file with reason
Speaking to OpIndia, Chairperson National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights Priyank Kanoongo said, “We are issuing a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu police. A similar circular was issued by the Maharashtra Police and it was later withdrawn after our circular. It is nothing but an attempt of appeasement in the backdrop of Tribal communities.”
It is notable that on November 29, Kanoongo issued a statement on Twitter. In a series of Tweets, he said, “A large number of cases of exploitation and abduction of minor girls for marriage in the name of love are coming to the fore in the country. Meanwhile, there has been a new debate which is very dangerous and needs to be called out in the public. POCSO law is there in India to protect children from sexual abuse which has been updated from time to time by the Government of India and the Parliament of the country. It is one of the best laws in the world that considers sexual intercourse with minor children as rape and does not accept the consent for sex before 18 years.
जिसे भारत सरकार ने,देश की संसद ने समय समय पर अप्डेट किया है। ये दुनिया के श्रेष्ठतम क़ानूनों में से एक है जो नाबालिग बच्चों से शारीरिक सम्बंध बनाने को बलात्कार मानता है व 18 वर्ष तक यौन सम्बंध हेतु सहमति को स्वीकार नहीं करता है।
हर क़ानून की तरह इसके कुछ मात्रा में दुरुपयोग…
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) November 29, 2022
He further added, “Like every law, it can be misused to some degree. The possibility of rape cannot be denied, but the increasing incidents of trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls by luring them into love by organized gangs cannot be ignored, from which POCSO is a weapon to protect. To save such criminals the gang that sees a child in Kasab and a misguided youth in Burhan Wani has been activated.”
में भटका हुआ नौजवान और देखने वाली गैंग इसमें सक्रिय हो गयी है। लिबरल गैंग,NGO’s इत्यादि द्वारा किशोरवय लड़के लड़कियों के 18 साल से पूर्व रोमांटिक सम्बन्धों को जायज़ बनाए जाने की माँग का एक नया नरेटिव गढ़ा जा रहा है।
इसलिए सुनता सावधान रहे।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) November 29, 2022
He said, “The liberal gangs and NGOs etc. are creating a new narrative demanding legalisation of romantic relationships between adolescent boys and girls before the age of 18 years. This gang has become more effective ever since we have started challenging the cases of legalizing the marriage of minor girls in the name of personal law in the courts and the discussion has started for the protection of the girl child in the country.”
जब से पर्सनल लॉ के नाम पर नाबालिग लड़कियों से निकाह को वैध ठहराने वाले मामलों को हमने न्यायालयों में चुनौती देना प्रारम्भ किया है व देश में बच्चियों के संरक्षण के लिए चर्चा शुरू हुई है तबसे ये गैंग अधिक प्रभावी हो गयी है।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) November 29, 2022
It is notable that in the last few years, several High Courts have justified marriage between an adult Muslim man and a minor girl stating that Muslim Personal Law allows a girl to get married if she has attained the age of puberty that is 15 as per the Islamic law.
The circular issued by TN DGP
A consultation meeting was held with various stakeholders on the implementation of the POCSO Act in the state. Madras High Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee, POCSO Committee and other stakeholders attended the meeting. Following the meeting, a circular was issued on December 3 addressing all District Superintendents and Police Commissioners instructing them to first issue a notice under Section 41A of the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Source: TN DGP Circular
Under Section 41A of the CRPC, the police have the power to call any person to appear before the police to address a complaint registered against him or her. It further suggests that if the person continues to oblige the summons issued under Section 41A, there is no need to arrest that person. An arrest can be made if the person fails to appear at the police station or show unwillingness to identify himself or herself.
Source: Legislative.gov.in
In the circular, DGP asked the police officials to take permission from the higher officials before arresting the accused. However, it has been clearly mentioned that such an approach has to be taken on a case to case basis. The arrests in such cases can be made only with permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or the Superintendent of Police (SP). In case of permission has not been sought, the officers should make a record in the case diary of why the accused was not arrested explaining the situation based on the investigation.
The circular further pointed out that around 60 per cent of the POCSO Act cases registered in the state involve mutual romantic relationships and men are often arrested and prosecuted due to the provisions under the ACT. The situation with the youths from the Tribal communities in the hilly areas was the main reason behind the circular where it is common for young men to marry girls under the age of 18.
It was pointed out that in such cases when girls get pregnant after the marriage and approach the government healthcare facilities for delivery, the hospital informs the police resulting in a case under POCSO Act against the husband. A recent case of a 17-year-old boy in district Cuddalore was mentioned in the circular where a case was registered against him for tying a mangalsutra around a 16-year-old female friend’s neck. It was allegedly a playful act. However, the police got involved and the girl was sent to the Children’s home.
The circular read, “In several Adivasi and tribal cultures, it is not a taboo for a male to marry a girl who is less than 18 years of age. The state is encouraging the tribals to use the facilities in government hospitals for delivery for good reasons. When a 17-year-old tribal wife goes for delivery to a government hospital, information is sent to the police, a case under the POCSO Act is registered against her husband and he is arrested. If this continues, tribal women will not go for delivery to hospitals and would instead, avail the services of tribal midwives. That apart, Adivasis and tribals will get more and more alienated from the mainstream society, which is not conducive for the state.”
Source: TN DGP Circular
Furthermore, the circular noted that most of the cases registered under POCSO in mutual relationships often end in acquittal. The reasons mentioned were either the survivor marries the accused or the survivor turns hostile.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien today took to Twitter to inform that their national spokesperson Saket Gokhale has been allegedly arrested by Gujarat Police. He claimed that Gokhale landed in Jaipur, Rajasthan after taking a 9 PM flight from New Delhi. However, Gujarat Police was there to arrest him instead.
TMC national spokesperson @SaketGokhale arrested by Gujarat Police.
Saket took a 9pm flight from New Delhi to Jaipur on Mon. When he landed, Gujarat Police was at the airport in Rajasthan waiting for him and picked him up. 1/3
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 6, 2022
He further informed that he was picked up by Police and that at 2 AM he called up his mother to inform her that the police is taking him to Ahmedabad and that he will arrive in the city by noon on Tuesday.
The cooked up case is filed with the Ahmedabad cyber cell about Saket’s tweet on the Morbi bridge collapse. All this cannot silence @AITCofficial and the Opposition. BJP taking political vendetta to another level. 3/3
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 6, 2022
O’Brien claimed that the police had confiscated Gokhale’s phone after that short phone call he had with his mother. He then claimed that the arrest was due to Gokhale’s tweet on Morbi bridge collapse.
Gokhale, a former RTI ‘activist’ and current Trinamool Congress leader, was caught sharing a fabricated news report about an RTI query and its response that does not exist. He had claimed that ₹30 crore was spent on PM Modi’s Morbi visit, sharing a news clipping from an unnamed Gujarati newspaper, which was claimed to be Gujarat Samachar. But BJP has said that it is fabricated and no such report was published and there is no such RTI reply, and Gujarat Samachar has also said that they have not published such a report.
Saket Gokhale’s tweet spreading fake news
Citing the so-called report, Gokhale claimed that ₹ 5.5 crore was purely for “welcome, event management, & photography”. He also claimed that “Modi’s event management & PR costs more than life of 135 people”, as the families of the 135 victims of the tragedy were given ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh each, totalling ₹5 crore.
There was no such RTI and no such media report as claimed by Gokhale.
Following the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, and MCD polls in Delhi, the exit polls have predicted BJP to return to power in Gujarat with an even greater mandate than in 2017.
The polls also reveal that AAP is sweeping the Delhi MCD polls, likely ending the 15 years of BJP rule over the corporation.
In Himachal Pradesh, the exit polls predict a close contest between Congress and BJP, with some pollsters giving an advantage to the Congress while others predict BJP’s return to power in the state.
Exit polls predict BJP’s return to power in Gujarat
As per News X-Jan Ki Baat survey on Gujarat elections, BJP is slated to win 117-140 seats, Congress-NCP 34-51, AAP 6-13, and others 1-2.
Republic TV-P Mare survey said that BJP will return to power in Gujarat with 128-148 seats in Vidhan Sabha. Congress is set to get 30-42 seats while AAP is expected to win 2-10 seats.
Aaj Tak-Axis My India also predicted BJP victory in the Gujarat elections, with the saffron party bagging anywhere between 129 to 151 seats.
The News 24-Chanakya exit poll also gave a clear majority to BJP with 150 seats.
All other polls suggested BJP will comfortably get past the majority mark to once again form a government in Gujarat.
A hung assembly in Himachal Pradesh
In the case of Himachal Pradesh, pollsters predicted a hung assembly and a fierce power tussle between Congress and BJP to form a government in the state.
The Aaj Tak-Axis My India survey gave Congress a slight advantage with 30-40 seats while BJP came a close second with 24-34 seats.
However, the ABP-Cvoter predicted that BJP will trounce Congress in a close fight. Its exit poll said BJP will bag 33-41 seats while granting Congress 24-31 seats.
While all exit polls predicted a close fight between Congress and BJP, the polls of all exit polls handed the advantage to the saffron party and projected BJP’s return to power in Himachal Pradesh.
AAP likely to sweep Delhi MCD polls
In Delhi, however, the story is different as AAP is all set to end BJP’s 15-year rule at the Municipal Corporation. All exit polls have predicted a majority for AAP in Delhi MCD polls.
The Aaj Tak-Axis My India said AAP will win 149-171 seats, BJP 69-91 seats, and Congress 3-7 seats.
The News X-Jan Ki Baat exit survey also predicted an AAP sweep in Delhi MCD polls, giving the Arvind Kejriwal-led party 159-175 seats, followed by BJP with 70-92 seats.
The Times Now-ETG survey too said that AAP is storming to power in Delhi MCD with 146-156 seats as BJP is set to win 84-94 and Congress 6-10.
A Delhi Court on Monday framed charges against former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain, Liyaqat Ali, and others for their involvement in the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi in 2020.
The court said there was clear cut objective to harm Hindus in every manner possible while framing charges against the accused, involving former councillor Tahir Hussain, in Delhi Riots 2020.
“The former councillor Tahir Hussain, Riyasat Ali, Gulfam, Shah Alam, Rashid Saifi, Arshad Qayyum, Liyakat Ali, Mohd Shadab, Mohd Abid and Irshad Ahmad, other unknown persons had the objective to harm Hindus in their body & property,” Delhi Court said.
“Clear Cut objective to harm hindus in every manner possible,” says Delhi Court while framing charges against Tahir Hussain, Riyasat Ali, Gulfam, Shah Alam, Rashid Saifi, Arshad Qayyum, Liyakat Ali, Mohd Shadab, Mohd Abid and Irshad Ahmad #DelhiRiots 2020 pic.twitter.com/77zDi9MYpT
The court held all the accused liable to be tried for hatching a criminal conspiracy to indulge in riots & to harm the properties of Hindus, assaulting persons from the Hindu community, who were present in that building.
Citing video clips, the court said evidence makes it amply clear that former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain was actively participating in rioting and persons present on his terrace were pelting stones at adjoining properties on road.
The court rejected the submission of a former AAP councillor wherein he contended that he was actually throwing water to extinguish the fire and was actually a victim.
The court also took note of the statement of an eyewitness who said Liyakat joined a mob of Muslim persons shouting “Allahu Akbar” started pelting stones at a crowd, and accused Riyasat fired at them with a pistol.
Earlier in October, the court framed charges against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councilor Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam, and four other accused in a similar case in connection with the anti-Hindu riots that took place in North-East Delhi in 2020. Justice Pulastya Pramachala, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) heard the case in the Karkardooma District Court of Delhi and framed charges against former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam, Tanveer Malik, Gulfam, Nazim, and Kasim.
ASJ Pramachala noted that the mob’s actions were the result of a criminal conspiracy, and all defendants are subject to trial for conceiving a plot to commit riot, kill Hindus, and damage Hindu property.
Role of Tahir Hussain in the Delhi riots
It is notable to mention that Tahir Hussain had earlier confessed in a disclosure statement that he chose his own house as a launchpad for the riots. Given that his house was a high-rise building and was under construction at that time, it was easy to collect stones and bricks without raising any suspicion.
He confessed that he and his co-conspirators had started collecting stones, bricks, and other ammunition, well in advance so that they could teach those, who were in support of the CAA, a lesson when the time was right. To that end, 2-3 days before the riots broke out, he had also got his licensed pistol released from the police station.
On December 5, Gujarat Police refuted the claims of Congress leader Kantibhai Kharadi that he was attacked and abducted. The Congress party had accused Bharatiya Janata Party of attacking and abducting its candidate for Danta Assembly.
As per the reports, on the night of December 5, a missing person report was filed claiming Congress’s Danta candidate Kanti Kharadi has been abducted. The Congress party accused BJP and claimed that it was BJP who attacked and abducted their candidate. The matter reached the police and Range IG JR Morthalia reached the spot with the police force. After searching for around four hours, the Congress leader was found safe in the forest.
Police said Kharadi himself denied claims of assault and abduction
In a statement, the Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat Kuldeep Arya, said, “A delegation presented the matter in front of the CEO at around midnight on December 4. Chief Electoral Officer P Bharti immediately instructed the Superintendent of Police of Banaskantha district to investigate the matter and submit a report.”
દાંતાના કોંગ્રેસ ઉમેદવાર કાંતિભાઈ ખરાડી પર કોઈ જ હુમલો થયો નથી કે તેમનું અપહરણ પણ થયું નથી: જિલ્લા પોલીસhttps://t.co/EjtdtbgGJv
He further added, “Banaskantha police officials immediately met Kantibhai Kharadi. There was no attack on him. He told the police that nothing had happened to him. Even after a request from the police, he said there was no need to file any complaint.”
Congress candidate from Tharad claimed he was attacked
As per reports, Congress leader Gulab Singh Rajput from Tharad also claimed that he was attacked and accused BJP of the same. He claimed that the attack happened late at night in Tharad. After the allegations levels by the Congress leader, the situation in Tharad became tense. The police force was deployed to pacify the situation. After the incident, Gulab Singh went live on Facebook and narrated the incident that he claimed had happened. The political atmosphere in the area got more heated following his Facebook live.
Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022
On December 5, the second and final phase of voting for the Gujarat Assembly election took place. The first phase took place on December 1. The results will be announced on December 8.
Days after the European Union and G7 countries decided to cap Russian oil exports at $60 per barrel, the price of Brent crude shot up by almost 2% to $87.25 per barrel on Monday (December 5), reportedBBC.
The development comes at a time when 23 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have agreed to cut down on the sale of crude oil in the global market.
With a shortage in oil supply, coupled with the arm-twisting of Russia by the European Union and G7 countries, it was expected that prices of crude oil would increase. To add to the woes, demand for oil has increased in several Chinese cities with the easing of the zero Covid-19 policy.
The idea behind caping Russian oil exports at $60 per barrel was to prevent Russia from ‘profiting’ from the ongoing war against Ukraine.
A price cap, set by European Union and G7 countries, implies that oil sold at the agreed price can be shipped using the tankers of the said countries, credit institutions and insurance companies.
It must be mentioned that Russia is the 2nd top producer of crude oil after Saudi Arabia. While reacting to the price cap on its oil exports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would not accept the price cap and soon decide its future course of action.
“We are assessing the situation. We will not accept this price ceiling and once the assessment is over, we will inform you how the work will be organised,” Peskov had said.
Russia’s permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, warned that the EU would end up ruing their decision to impose the price cap.
Senior vice-president at Rystad Energy, Jorge Leon, told the BBC, “So probably what’s going to happen is that we will see some disruptions in the coming months and therefore probably oil prices are going to start increasing again in the coming weeks.”
When people saw the pitch for the first Test match between Pakistan and England, there was unanimous agreement that a result will be impossible on that track. A pitch flatter than GT Road was served up for the series opener, and every expert anticipated a boring high-scoring draw. However, England had other ideas.
The pitch was considered so bad and so biased towards the batsmen that Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja deemed the pitch to be an embarrassment halfway through the Test match.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, England played a brand of cricket not seen before in Test matches. Starting from their openers, the much-maligned Zak Crawley and the returning Ben Duckett, every England batsman played with a very aggressive mindset. Maintaining a run rate well above 6 runs per over throughout their innings, England put on a mammoth 657 in their first innings.
Four English batsmen scored centuries, apart from the two openers mentioned earlier, wicketkeeper Ollie Pope and youngster Harry Brook also reached three figures, with Brook top scoring with a score of 153. Interestingly, apart from Duckett, all the other centurions scored above run a ball, with Brook again being the best with a strike rate of 131.90.
In response, Pakistan responded well with a huge score of their own putting up 579 on the board. Just like England, both Pakistani openers, Shafique and Imam Ul Haq scored centuries. Captain Babar Azam also added a century to propel the score over 550 and close to the English total.
That is when everyone thought the match is going to end up in a dull drab draw, but England had other ideas. With a lead of 78 in hand, England turned up in T20 mode in their second innings, scoring 264 in less than 36 overs. Without caring for their wickets, the English batsmen launched an all-out assault on Pakistani bowlers, with the youngster Harry Brook again being the standout batsman with a 65-ball-87.
With four sessions still left in the game, England shocked everyone by declaring with a lead of 342, deemed too low by all experts. However, England again proved all experts wrong as they romped home to victory by 74 runs dismissing Pakistan for 268 in their final innings.
Ever since the Kiwi Brendon McCullum has become the coach of England’s Test side, they have played a brand of positive cricket rarely seen in the format. Using this aggressiveness, England pulled off impressive wins against New Zealand and India, however, even by those standards, the batting in this Test match was astounding.
Brendon McCullum inspired a sea change in England’s limited overs cricket by inspiring them with the way his New Zealand side played in the 2015 World Cup, and now as their coach, he is changing England’s Test side as well. Traditional cricketing sense and experts all said that this should have been a dull draw, but England are not playing for that any longer, and Test cricket will be richer thanks to their approach.
The Supreme Court Monday criticised missionaries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for carrying out forced religious conversion of individuals under the guise of helping them.
“The purpose of charity should not be conversion; every charity or good work is welcome, but what is required to be considered is the intention,” the court said as it rejected the plea challenging maintainability of the PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.
#SupremeCourt says “good work” by Charities are welcome buy they cannot convert people on pretext of helping them. Top Court has asked Centre & States to file a detailed affidavit on the issue of forceful conversions
Upadhyay had filed a plea in the apex court seeking direction to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by ‘intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits.’
Reiterating that forced religious conversion is a very serious matter, the court also called it unconstitutional.
When a lawyer questioned the maintainability of the plea, the bench said, “Do not be so technical. We are here to find a solution. We are here for a cause. We are here to set things right. If the purpose of the charity is good then it is welcome but what is required to be considered is the intention.
“Do not take it as adversarial. It is a very serious issue. Ultimately it is against our Constitution. When everyone stays in India, they have to act per the culture of India,” the bench observed.
The bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar asked the Centre and States to file a detailed affidavit on the issue of forceful conversions.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing on behalf of the central government, meanwhile, told the court that it is collecting information from states on religious conversion through such means and sought time to furnish detailed information on the issue.
“We are gathering information from the states. Give us a week’s time,” Mehta said. He said statutory the regime will determine whether a person is converting due to some change in belief.
The Supreme Court will now take up the case on December 12.
SC terms forced religious conversion a ‘very serious’ issue, warns difficult situation may emerge if practice not stopped
It may be recalled that during the last hearing on November 14, the SC termed the practice of forced religious conversion a ‘very serious’ issue and directed the Central Government to step in and make sincere efforts to check the practice. The Court also warned saying that a very difficult situation might emerge if the practice of forced religious conversion is not stopped.
“It is a very serious issue that affects the security of the nation and freedom of religion and conscience. Therefore, it is better that Union of India may make their stand clear and file counter on what further steps can be taken to curb such forced conversion,” the bench led by Justices MR Shah and Hima Kohli said on November 14.
Taking serious notice of religious conversion by deceit, allurement, and intimidation, the bench requested the Government to undertake action against it and asked Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta to list steps to limit the conversion practice happening through enticements.
