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Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar again requests transfer to different jail, alleges threats and pressure by CRPF personnel in Mandoli Jail

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Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar again requests transfer to different jail, alleges threats and pressure by CRPF personnel in Mandoli Jail

On November 9, conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s counsel K Singh wrote to Delhi LG and urged him to transfer Sukesh and his wife to any other jail out of Delhi. In his letter, he alleged that Sukesh was assaulted by CRPF personnel inside the jail, resulting in severe injury to the genital area. He further added Sukesh was getting constant threats and pressure to withdraw complaints filed against AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendra Jail and Kailash Gehlot.

Singh said his client was assaulted by CRPF personnel on August 31 inside the jail, due to which he got a severe injury in his genital part. Sukesh was getting treated for the same at RML Hospital and GTB Hospital. The doctors have asked him to wear scrotal support to reduce the pain.

Furthermore, Singh alleged that following his complaints against Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendra Jain, and Kailash Gehlot filed at LG’s office, he has been receiving threats. He added that Sukesh was being pressurised to withdraw the complaints and retract disclosure statements given to Economic Offence Wing (EOW) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) during the investigation.

Singh said Sukesh’s wife, Leena Poulose, who is lodged in Jail No 16, Mandoli Jail, Delhi, was threatened and abused by the senior jail officials in connection to the complaints filed by Sukesh. She was allegedly being pressurised to convince Sukesh to withdraw the complaints.

He said, “We humbly request you to consider his compelling circumstances and transfer him & his wife from Delhi Jail to any other jail across the country (away from the control of DG, Delhi Prisons) to ensure the safety of their life & limbs in view of above said complaints, recent threats & assault made against him.”

It is notable that this is the second plea by the jailed conman for transfer to another prison. He was originally lodged in Tihar Jail, and after he had repeatedly applied for transfer alleging harassment, he was shifted to Mandoli jail in Delhi by the Supreme Court in August this year. But now he is again seeking transfer, this time to a jail outside Delhi.

Content of the request sent by Sukesh’s counsel

Singh said, “My client Mr. Sukesh Chandrashakaran, S/o V. Chandrasekaran is an under trial prisoner lodged in judicial custody in Mandoli Jail No.14, at Ward no.1, in FIR No. 208/2021 dated 07.08.2021, registered at: Police Station: Special Cell, New Delhi. his wife is also lodged in Jail No. 16, Mandoli Jail, Delhi in connection with the same FIR.

My client has received constant threats and pressure to withdraw complaints filed before your good office against Aam Aadmi Party, Satyendra Jain, Arvind Kejriwal & Kailash Gehlot and also to retract from disclosure statements given to the EOW and ED during the investigation of the above said case. His wife is also being threatened and abused, by the senior jail officers in related to above said matter to convince her husband to withdraw the complaints etc.

Recently on 31.08.2022 he was assaulted by CRPF personnel inside jail, due to which he got severe injury in his genital part. His treatment is going on before RML Hospital and GTB Hospital. Doctors have advised him to wear scrotal support to reduce pain.

On behalf of our client we humbly request you to consider his compelling circumstances and transfer him & his wife from Delhi Jail to any other jail across the country (away from control of DG, Delhi Prisons) to ensure safety of their life & limbs in view of above said complaints, recent threats & assault made against him.

I am his counsel. He has handed over me his hand written request letter dated 07.11.2022, when I visited Mandoli jail to have legal meeting with him on 07.11.2022. upon his instruction, am placing it before you good office.”

Sukesh’s allegations against AAP

Sukesh Chandrashekhar has filed a complaint to the LG complaining against Kejriwal and his party, alleging they extorted money from him. In his complaint, he alleged to have paid Rs 10 crore for protection inside the jail and Rs 50 crore for party funds. He also alleged he was asked to raise funds for Punjab and Goa elections.

Arrest of Chandrasekhar

In 2017, Delhi Police arrested Sukesh Chandrasekhar for the first time for allegedly duping AIADMK leader of Rs 2 crores on the pretext he would help the politician in retaining the two leaves symbol of the party. He had claimed he would do that by bribing the Election Commission officials. Since then, 34 cases have been filed against Chandrasekhar under charges of attempt to murder, cheating, extortion, bribing public officials and more. A special cell of Delhi Police is investigating jail and police officials for alleged involvement in his crimes.

On December 31, his lawyer issued a statement on behalf of Chandrasekhar denying all the charges. He claimed government agencies were targeting him. He called himself a corporate lobbyist and refused to identify himself as a conman.

Joe Biden says Elon Musk’s relationships with other countries ‘worth looking into’, days after Musk asked people to vote Republican

OpIndia Staff
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Joe Biden says Elon Musk’s relationships with other countries ‘worth looking into’, days after Musk asked people to vote Republican

US President and Democrat leader Joe Biden on Wednesday said that the relationships of the new Twitter CEO Elon Musk with foreign countries are worthy of being ‘looked into’. This comes days after Musk appealed to the US public to vote for Republican candidates during the recently held 2022 mid-term elections. 

Joe Biden was at a White House press conference when he was asked, “Do you think Elon Musk poses a threat to U.S. national security? Should the US, using the tools you have, investigate his joint acquisition of Twitter with foreign governments, including the Saudis?”

Although Joe Biden told the media that Musk’s cooperation with other countries is “worthy of being looked at.” He did, however, clarify that he was not implying Musk had done anything inappropriate.

“I’m not saying whether or not he’s doing anything inappropriate. I’m suggesting that it’s worth being looked at. That’s all I have to say,” Biden added.

Notably, Elon Musk has openly supported the Republican candidates in a recent tweet. “To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic,” Musk tweeted on Monday ahead of the polls.

Further, Musk added, “To be clear, my historical party affiliation has been Independent, with an actual voting history of entirely Democrat until this year.”

In another tweet, he added, ”Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who decide who’s in charge!” 

Notably, the friction between Elon Musk and Joe Biden is not new and the former has criticized Biden on multiple occasions. Musk has accused President Biden of ignoring Tesla, despite its success, and instead supporting legacy automakers and their unions. He even called Biden a ‘damp sock puppet in a human form’.

Elon Musk recently also proposed holding UN-supervised referendums in Ukraine to decide whether certain regions of the country should join Russia, in sharp contrast to the official US position on Ukraine. He also stated that Ukraine should hand over Crimea to Russia and then remain “neutral,” rather than aligning with either NATO or Russia.

While Musk received praise from Kremlin officials, he was chastised by many others, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Maharashtra Police finally complies with Bombay HC order, undertakes anti-encroachment drive around Afzal Khan’s grave at Pratapgarh fort

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra Police finally complies with Bombay HC order, undertakes anti-encroachment drive around Afzal Khan’s grave at Pratapgarh fort

On Thursday, the Maharashtra Police began the anti-encroachment drive to remove illegal construction near Afzal Khan’s tomb at Fort Pratapgad (Mahabaleshwar) in Satara. The Police said that the action has been taken in compliance with the orders issued by the Bombay High Court.

According to the local reports, the anti-encroachment drive began at around 6 in the morning after around 1,800 police personnel from four districts namely Satara, Pune, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Sangli Rural reached the police sub-divisional office at Wai. The officers reached the office on Wednesday evening and were deployed at Fort Pratapgarh early in the morning for the task.

Heavy security has been deployed in Pratapgarh, Mahabaleshwar, Wai, Karad, and Satara districts and Section 144 has been enforced in the areas. Collector of Satara Ruchesh Jayavanshi, Superintendent of Police Sameer Sheikh, Provincial Officer of Y Rajendra Jadhav, Deputy Superintendent of Police Dr. Sheetal Janeve Kharade, Tehsildar Sushma Patil Chaudhary of Mahabaleshwar and other senior officials have also reached the spot. However, media representatives have been barred from entering the premises.

Several illegal structures have been constructed around the tomb of Afzal Khan, the tyrant from Bijapur who was a staunch enemy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Several Hindu organizations including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had demanded strict action against the illegal encroachment and sought direction leading to the demolition of the illegal structures. Notably, the Bombay High Court in 2017 directed the Maharashtra government to do away with illegal constructions around Afzal Khan’s grave.

Afzal Khan tried to kill Shivaji Maharaj, got disembowelled by the Chhatrapati’s famous ‘Wagh nakh’

On November 10, 1659, Afzal Khan, the Bijapur General barged onto Fort Pratapgarh near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. A few meters above its base, a Shamiyana was erected to welcome Khan who had come to meet Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Soon, pretending to hug Shivaji Maharaj, he tried to kill him. Aware of his motives, 29-year-old Chhatrapati swiftly scratched out Afzal Khan’s intestine with tiger claws. Khan collapsed on the spot and died screaming. To honour Afzal Khan’s right to a decent burial, he was buried at the same spot and a tombstone was placed over it.

Until over two decades ago, the grave of Afzal Khan was lying unnoticed inside the fort premises. However, it gained prominence only after some Muslim ascetics around the year 2000 claimed the grave and decided to build a shelter over it. Gradually over a decade, a permanent structure with an arcade from all four sides was raised on the grave. Covered with a tapering roof of asbestos sheets, the interior is said to have independent rooms for wandering Muslim ascetics who often take refuge in the newly developed ‘Shrine’.

The construction was carried out illegally in the name of a ‘Hazrat Mohammed Afzal Khan Memorial Trust’ which had occupied around 5,500 square feet of space on the fort. Further, in the year 2004, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) raised an objection against the illegal capture of land on the ASI-regulated site. The Hindu organization also demanded the removal of illegal construction and said that it would lead to agitation on the fort if no action is taken. The Mahabaleshwar Police then bolstered security around the fort and tomb.

Later a contempt petition was filed by Milind Ekbote, the founder-president of Samasta Hindu Aghadi and chief executive of Pratapgad Utsav Samiti against illegal construction on forest land around the grave of Afzal Khan. The PIL said that the original tomb was 5 square feet in size at the foot of the fort, but it was now encircled by 1,000 square feet of unlawful development. It also alleged that a number of other structures had taken over the fort, which is on territory owned by the forest department.

The Bombay High Court then directed the state government to do away with the illegal constructions around Afzal Khan’s grave. “Remove encroachments around Afzal Khan’s grave or send forest officials permanently to the forest if they can’t do their duty,” Justice SC Dharmadhikari of the Bombay High Court was quoted saying.

Afzal Khan’s grave at the foothills of Fort Pratapgarh in Satara district had truly been undergoing rapid changes in recent years. The Islamists had also started organizing fairs on the location. At present, the common public and media persons have been barred from entering the premises amid the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. Heavy security has been deployed in Pratapgarh, Mahabaleshwar, Wai, Karad, and Satara districts and Section 144 has been enforced in the areas.

Gujarat: Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba gets BJP ticket, will contest from Jamnagar North

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba gets BJP ticket, will contest from Jamnagar North

Rivaba Jadeja, the wife of cricketer Ravindrasinh Jadeja is to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat. As per reports, Rivaba has got a BJP ticket from the Jamnagar North constituency.

Rivaba joined the BJP in 2019. She has been associated with the party and has been engaged in ground-level social work for the last few years.

Cricketer Ravindrasinh Jadeja also announced his support for PM Modi in June 2019.

Rivaba and Ravinsrasinh have been known for their charity work. Last year, they had made news for opening Sukanya Samriddhi bank accounts for 101 baby girls on the occasion of their daughter’s 5th birthday. Their efforts at creating awareness and helping the girl children become financially independent were praised by PM Modi. He had written a letter to Rivaba, praising her and her husband for their charity work.

Assam govt directs private madarsas to provide information about their location, profile of teachers, to Secondary Education Dept by Dec 1: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Assam govt directs private madarsas to provide information about their location, profile of teachers, to Secondary Education Dept by Dec 1: Details

On Wednesday, the Assam government asked the private madarsas in the state to provide detailed information about their institution including the location and profile of the teachers employed. The state said that the information shall be made available to the Secondary Education Department of the state government by December 1.

According to reports, the decision was taken in a meeting held at the Assam Police Headquarters in presence of the Director General of Police (DGP) Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta, director of secondary education Mamata Hojai, and other government officials. Representatives of madrasas including All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qaqmiya, All Assam Talimi Taraqqi Board, Madarsa Education Board Al Hafiz, and Adara Madaris Islamia who run private Madarsas in the state were also present at the meeting.

“The Madarsas will have to furnish the details to the directorate for secondary education via organizations under which they operate”, the official was quoted. Rajib Sakia, CRPO of Assam also said that a web portal would be developed where the information of all the private Madarsas will be uploaded. “The portal will be launched soon”, Sakia said.

Meanwhile, DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta stated that police verification would mandatorily be conducted for those who come from outside of the state to engage as teachers in the private Madarsas. “There should be at least a 3 km distance between two Madarsas and the enrollment of each Madarsa should be at least 100 students”, he added.

Earlier in July this year, the state government had busted several jihadi terror modules being operated from a Madrasa. Later a Madarsa named Jamiul Huda Madrasa was also demolished under the Disaster Management Act & UAPA Act. According to the administration, the madrasa was built and operated without requisite permissions and was drawing electricity illegally.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma then had said that the state has become a hotbed of Jihadi activities, with terror modules being set up in Madrasas. “Jihadi activities in Assam have become an issue of grave concern, as several jihadi modules of Bangladeshi immigrants have been busted by the police. The aim of these madarsas has been to indoctrinate youth towards Sharia,” he said.

Later, the state formulated several rules to be followed by the Islamic schools. The government closed all the government run madarsas and converted them to general schools. Also several private madrasas in the state have come under scrutiny after instructors at these organizations were detained earlier this year for having alleged ties to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

In September this year, Assam DGP held a meeting with representatives of Muslim groups to discuss the matter and sought their support in the crackdown on jihadi modules being run from mosques and madarsas. He asked many small madarsas set up by individuals that do not have any governing board to merge with larger institutionalised madarsas. He also asked the Muslim leaders to include general subjects like mathematics, science, computers, geography, history etc in madarsas apart from religious subjects.

Reportedly, 47 people this year, including teachers, have been jailed in the state for possessing suspected connections to fundamentalist organizations. The Assam Police has also handed over one case to the NIA.

Punjab: Dera Sacha Sauda follower accused in 2015 Bargari sacrilege case shot dead in Faridkot by unknown persons

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Dera Sacha Sauda follower accused in 2015 Bargari sacrilege case shot dead in Faridkot by unknown persons

In a shocking incident on Thursday, a person was shot dead in Punjab’s Faridkot by some unidentified attackers. The deceased person has been identified as Pradeep Singh who was a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda, an accused in a 2015 Bargari sacrilege incident, the police informed. 

The incident occurred while Pardeep was opening his shop in Kotkapura, they said, adding that Pradeep Singh’s gunman was injured in the incident.

“An incident of firing took place today where a man, Pradeep Singh, died while 3 people were injured. His security personnel did retaliatory firing too. We have received CCTV footage & have got some leads. Situation under control,” Pradeep Kumar Yadav, IG, Faridkot range told ANI.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took to Twitter to condemn the incident and wrote in Gurumukhi, “Punjab is a peaceful state where brotherhood among people is quite strong. Nobody will be allowed to jeopardize the peace in Punjab. Police & civil officials have been given strict instructions to maintain peace in the state.”

In 2015, Pardeep Singh was accused of stealing a ‘bir’ (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot. He was out on bail. 

Protests erupted in Faridkot following ‘sacrilege’ incidents in 2015. In October 2015, police opened fire on protesters in Behbal Kalan, killing two people and injuring several others in Kotkapura, Faridkot.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, is serving a 20-year jail sentence for raping two female disciples at his ashram in Sirsa, where the dera is based. In August 2017, he was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula.

In the past, Punjab has reported cases where people accused of sacrilege were killed. On December 18, 2021, a man was lynched by the Sikh Sangat (Sikh devotees) in Amritsar’s Shri Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara (Golden Temple) for allegedly disrespecting the Sikh religion’s holiest book, Shri Guru Granth Sahib. In October 2021, one Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit Sikh was brutally murdered at the then heart of the farmer’s protest, Singhu border. His hands were chopped and his body was hung on a barricade by Nihang Sikhs over the allegation of trying to steal Sarbloh Granth, a Sikh holy book. In July last year, in Gurdaspur, an Army personnel Deepak Kumar was lynched in a Gurudwara over alleged sacrilege against Shri Guru Granth Sahib. 

Notably, Mohinder Pal Singh Bittoo, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower and the main accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, was murdered by two of his fellow inmates on June 22, 2019, in Patiala’s high-security Nabha prison. Gursewak Singh and Maninder Singh, two inmates, attacked him with rods and lynched him to death. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead.

The alleged cases of sacrilege of Sikh holy books have become a major political issue in the state, with some parties demanding a special law for it.

IT dept raids former BSP leader Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutto: As MLA surrenders Rs 100 cr undeclared income from his meat business, Muslim org cry foul

OpIndia Staff
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IT dept raids former BSP leader Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutto: As MLA surrenders Rs 100 cr undeclared income from his meat business, Muslim org cry foul

On November 9, former Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) MLA from Agra, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutto, surrendered undisclosed income worth Rs 100 crores. Reportedly, the Income Tax department raided the residence and office of the BSP leader, which continued for several days. Bhutto is a meat exporter and owns a firm named HMA Group. Bhutto was elected as MLA in 2007 from the Agra Cantonment seat on BSP’s ticket.

As per reports, the IT department raided 35 locations linked to Bhutto in 12 cities spread over five states across India. The raid continued for 88 hours. Around 200 income tax officers, 250 paramilitary personnel and other security personnel were involved in the raids.

The Income Tax Department conducted raids in 12 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Raipur, Unnao, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Chandigarh, at the locations linked to the HMA Group. In Agra alone, 18 locations were raided. During the raids, the investigating officers confiscated documents, laptops, mobile phones and more.

The recovery made from raids at locations linked to BSP leader Bhutto is the IT department’s second biggest achievement in recent years. Around four years ago, the Agra-based BNR group was raided in which undeclared income worth Rs 101 crore was recovered.

Around 14 fake vendors have been traced as local residents of Agra. These so-called vendors were either company employees or completely unattached to the business. Furthermore, they claimed no information that the company was using their name in the alleged forgery. The investigating officer said accounts were opened in the names of poor employees, and transactions worth crores were done.

The information about fake accounts came to the fore when the IT officials went to an HMA employee, Israr Ahmed’s house. Transactions worth crores were done through his account. However, they found that Israr was a daily wager at the company. The department gave him two days to Israr to present his case. Around 14 such accounts were discovered by the department during the investigation. These employees were named as directors in shell companies as well.

In a statement, a senior officer said that HMA Group is the third-largest meat exporter in the country. It has around Rs 2,000 crore turnover. The company exports meat to 40 countries.

Muslim orgs cry foul

All India Muslim Vikas Parishad chairman Sami Aghai condemned the raids at Bhutto’s business and claimed the central government is misusing agencies like the IT Department, ED, CBI and others to harass the opposition leaders. Aghai claimed such raids would insist fear in the minds of ‘honest businessmen’.

A social activist identified as Amir Qureshi told India Today that Bhutto is a philanthropist. He claimed he has a “good image” in the city and “gives employment to hundreds of non-Muslims in his meat factories”. He further added the raids took place to “tarnish his image”.

Congress attacks BJP over G20 logo, in 2013 it wanted lotus ponds covered up before elections

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Congress attacks BJP over G20 logo, in 2013 it wanted lotus ponds covered up before elections

On Wednesday (November 9), in a bizarre move, Congress launched an attack on the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over the use of the lotus flower in the G20 logo, saying that while it was shocking that the BJP’s election symbol was used, it knew by now that the Prime Minister and his party would not miss any opportunity to promote themselves.

The lotus is the national flower of India. It is rather bizarre that Congress identifies it with the BJP and not as India’s National Flower which is an integral part of Indian culture.

Notably, the war of words came just one day after PM Modi unveiled the logo, theme, and website for India’s upcoming presidency of the G20 grouping.

The essence and inspiration behind the G20 logo were explained in an official press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

“The vibrant colors of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue – inspired the G20 logo. It contrasts the planet with the lotus, India’s national flower that represents growth in the face of adversity. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet lifestyle, which is in perfect harmony with nature,” the press release read.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress’ general secretary in charge of communications, reacted to the logo’s unveiling by saying that former Primer Minister of India,  Jawaharlal Nehru rejected the proposal to adopt the flag of the Congress party as the national flag of India, while PM Modi and BJP leave no opportunity for self-promotion. 

“Nehru rejected the proposal to make the Congress flag the national flag of India over 70 years ago. The BJP’s election symbol is now the official logo for India’s G20 presidency!” While shocking, we know by now that Mr Modi & BJP won’t lose any opportunity to promote themselves shamelessly!,” Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

In retaliation, the BJP accused the Congress of insulting not only the national flower but also Hinduism, because lotus is associated with Devis such as Lakshmi and Saraswati, who are believed to be seated on the flower.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed Congress for stoking a baseless controversy saying that “The opposition party should know that it was the Congress government that selected lotus as the national flower. Congress leaders of this generation should respect their ancestors’ decision.”

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri shared a video of PM Modi’s address while unveiling the G20 logo and tweeted, “Congress leaders should carefully listen to #PMModi Ji on why Lotus is part of #G20Logo. It symbolises India’s ancient heritage, faith & thought – a symbol of hope in such tough times. Lord Buddha’s message for freedom from war, Mahatma Gandhi’s solutions in the face of violence.”

When Congress asked Election Commission to hide lotus ponds from voters 

In 2013, the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh asked the Election Commission to “hide” lotus ponds in the state’s Mahakoshal, Malwa, and Bundelkhand regions so that voters are not drawn unfairly to the BJP symbol.

The bizarre Congress demand was flatly rejected by the MP Chief Electoral Officer, Jaideep Govind, who stated that it was “neither practical nor feasible.”

Govind stated at a press conference that these lotuses have been standing in bodies of water for a long time and have nothing to do with the elections.

In its complaint, Congress demanded a level playing field with the BJP, as well as appropriate directions to “hide all ponds” where lotus is cultivated and sold.

Ironically, Congress’ own symbol is the human palm.

India’s G20 Presidency

On December 1, India will take over the presidency of the influential grouping from the current chair, Indonesia. The G20, also known as the Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum comprised of the world’s major developed and developing economies.

The G20 represents Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU).

‘Keep a coffin ready’: Investigating officer in RSS’ Sreenivasan murder case, where all accused are from banned terror outfit PFI, receives death threats

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‘Keep a coffin ready’: Investigating officer in RSS’ Sreenivasan murder case, where all accused are from banned terror outfit PFI, receives death threats

A complaint has been filed at Palakkad-Town South Police Station by an investigation officer probing the murder case of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Swayamsevak, SK Sreenivasan. In his complaint, the officer alleged that he had been receiving threatening calls. He added that the caller said the probe caused trouble for them and the officer would face the consequences for the same. The officer said the caller told him to “keep a coffin ready”.

Notably, 34 accused have been arrested so far for the murder of Sreenivasan. All the accused belong to the banned Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). Reportedly, Sreenivasan was hacked to death on April 16, a day after a PFI leader Zubair was allegedly killed. Special investigation teams were formed to probe the two cases. ADGP Law and Order is heading both teams.

Murder of Sreenivasan

On April 16, SK Sreenivasan, a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader, was hacked to death in broad daylight in Kerala’s Palakkad. He was a former Physical Education instructor of the RSS. Reports suggested he was murdered by a group of 5-6 assailants who arrived on three bikes. They hacked him to death inside his shop in the Melamuri area of Palakkad with sharp weapons.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers were armed with machetes and attacked him several times, inflicting multiple fatal injuries. According to Kerala police, he was murdered in retaliation for the alleged murder of PFI leader Zubair on April 15 2022.

Ban on PFI

PFI, along with its eight sister organisations, were banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 27 under UAPA for five years. In its notification, the MHA said, “The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect”.

Bharat Forge gets an order of exporting 155mm artillery guns worth $155.5 mn to a ‘non-conflict zone’ country

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Bharat Forge gets an order of exporting 155mm artillery guns worth $155.5 mn to a ‘non-conflict zone’ country

On 9th November 2022, Bharat Forge Limited, a company located in Pune, said that it has received a $155.50 million export order for one of its 155mm artillery gun platforms. The contract had been received by its subsidiary Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, and it would be completed in three years.

The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by the government of India and the Make in India policy has brought a significant change in the defence manufacturing sector of India, and it is one of the examples of the success of the initiative.

The company communicated with the Bombay Stock Exchange in a notification that said, “We are pleased to inform that Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has been awarded an export order for a 155mm Artillery Gun platform to be executed over a 3-year time frame. The total value of the order is $155.50 million.”

However, the company didn’t mention the country which has placed the order for the artillery guns but mentioned that it is a non-conflict zone, which means that the country is currently not involved in any war. The company said, “This order, to a non-conflict zone, is a great testament to the Government of India’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat agenda and its sustained push to promote exports of Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) advanced defence platforms from India.”

The company also didn’t specify the exact artillery being exported, as Kalyani Strategic Systems makes multiple models of 155mm gun, which are MArG (Multi-terrain Artillery Gun), Bharat ULH (Ultra-Light Howitzer), Bharat 52 and Bharat 45.

The purchaser country could be Saudi Arabia and the selected gun could be Bharat 52, as it was reported in 2020 that Saudi Arabia was evaluating two guns sent by Kalyani Group, Bharat 52 and Garuda V2. As Garuda V2 is a 105mm gun, it is not the gun in question. Bharat-52 gun is a 155mm, 52 calibre towed howitzer, and it is also being considered by the Indian Army.

A variety of goods, including a variety of artillery weapons, have been manufactured by Bharat Forge, which has recently extensively diversified into the production of defence equipment. While it has supplied the Indian Army with 60 Kalyani-M4 armoured vehicles and has orders for 30 more, it has not yet received a domestic order for its artillery cannons.

The defence ministry has been gradually banning the import of a number of weapons since 2021 in an effort to boost manufacturing and export. Bharat Forge’s shares reached a 52-week high of Rs. 890 on the BSE after the announcement, before dropping to Rs. 878.7 on Wednesday.

It is notable that this is the second such big incident in which an Indian defence manufacturer has received an order for exports. In September 2022, India received an order to export missiles, rockets, and ammunition to Armenia. India is also going to export the indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers to Armenia to aid the nation in its war against Azerbaijan. It will be the first export of the Pinaka rocket launchers.

India has signed a $250 million (over Rs 2000 crore) deal to export anti-tank rockets and other ammunition to Armenia, apart from the rocket launchers. India will be supplying the weapons in the coming months via a government-to-government channel.


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