In the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, a fight between Hindu and Muslim children escalated to such an extent that the family of the Hindu child was forced to migrate from the area.
The Hindu victim’s family held up posters informing about their decision to migrate from the region. The posters read that they are forced to leave the village because of harassment from Muslims. The pictures of the hapless Hindu victims holding up posters announcing their migration have gone viral on the internet.
On the other hand, the police say that there is no harassment of the Hindu family in the village and proper action will be taken if any complaint is received.
The dispute started with a fight between children
The incident took place in the Mohsand, a locality of Khirkiya Purwa village under the Kursi police station area of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh. Photos of a Hindu family with posters claiming exodus are going viral on social media. A fight between the kids from two families has reached elders. On September 2, two children of the locality, Ajay and Adil, had a fight. Adil hit Ajay. After the incident, when the victims complained to Adil’s family, the accused Muslim family’s members barged into the victim’s house.
The Hindu family was assaulted by the Muslims
The Hindu family member Harinam Prajapati has accused Muslims of obscene behavior and abuse. Besides, the Hindu victims also accused the Muslims of assaulting them and threatening to kill them. The action was also taken by the police in this case under section 151. The victim’s family also put up posters of the exodus. The posters read, “We are forced to leave the village because of Muslims. Save us and our livelihood.”
The victim Hindu family holding the poster of the exodus. Image Source: Granthshala.in
‘Will take an action if a complaint is filed’: Police
Superintendent of Police Dr. Akhilesh Narayan Singh said, “A week ago, there was a dispute between the children, which reached the elders. At that time, the police had also taken action under 151. That village has 60 percent Hindus, while 40 percent are minorities. So far, no such thing as harassment of the family by minorities has come to light yet. If any complaint comes to the police, action will be taken.”
OpIndia also contacted the Kursi police station. The station officer Ram Chandra Saroj informed that it is not an exodus case. He said, “It is like any other dispute over minor reasons. It started from a fight between two kids in those families. This village is also a Hindu-majority place. The said Hindu victim, in this case, has not given any complaint about the forced exodus so far.”
On Friday (September 9), the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of not providing proper remuneration to the teachers and appointing political activists as heads of the varsity’s governing bodies.
DUTA also urged the Central government to take over colleges, which are currently run by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. In total, 12 DU colleges are directly funded by the Delhi government while 53 colleges receive funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC).
A K Bhagi, the President of DUTA, alleged that misgovernance was pervasive in various Delhi government-run colleges. He said, “Due to fund deficit, a pay cut of teachers is happening for last 2 years in 12 colleges under Delhi government. We’ve held demonstrations outside CM’s house, gone to the Deputy CM, nobody listened to us.”
Delhi | There’s misgovernance in 20 more colleges under Delhi govt. Governing bodies in those colleges have been politicized, AAP workers appointed as members: AK Baghi, DUTA President
Teachers at Deen Dayal Upadhyay College remain at the mercy of the Delhi government
Recently, it came to light that the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) college, run by the Delhi government, had to cut down on its operating hours to save electricity. The college is now working for 5 days a week, owing to the paucity of funds.
As per an exclusive report by The Times of India, the Delhi government did not release electrical and maintenance grants so far. Besides, the salaries of teachers have been outstanding for the past 2 months. This has prompted them to participate in protests against the Aam Aadmi Party government.
A teacher told the English daily, “It has been more than two years now that we have been facing this problem. Earlier, the government said once the governing body was constituted with its representatives, the problem of funds would be addressed, but still, the same problem is going on.”
In a notice released on June 9 this year, the Deen Dayal Upadhaya college administration informed that it would withhold a large chunk of the teachers’ salaries and disburse them only when funds were available.
“This is for information of all permanent teaching staff that due to paucity of funds, ₹30000 has been retained from the net salary of Assistant Professors and ₹50000 from the net salary of Associate Professors/ Professors for the month of July,” it stated. The notice was signed by the officiating Principal of DDU, Hem Chand Jain.
Delay in the release of grants by the Delhi government
On July 18, 2022, BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma raised the question pertaining to the delay in the release of funds to the colleges of Delhi University.
He inquired whether the Union government had taken note of the financial crisis in Delhi government-run DU colleges and steps taken to ensure financial autonomy of Indian colleges.
“Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state whether the Government has directed to Delhi Government to ensure the release of pending funds to colleges of the University of Delhi and if so, the details thereof?” Verma further asked.
Screengrab of the question raised in Lok Sabha
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed [pdf] the Lok Sabha that the 53 colleges of Delhi University are directly funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC). He added that funds to the tune of ₹ 2134.54 cr, ₹ 2446.83 cr, and ₹ 590.51 cr were released during the FY 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 (up to June 2022).
“A representation was received in the Ministry from all the twelve Principals of DU Colleges, fully funded by the Government of NCT of Delhi, regarding the hardships to the staff members and pensioners due to non-release of grants in aid,” he informed.
Dharmendra Pradhan further stated, “The University of Delhi has informed that the Government of NCT of Delhi has also been releasing grants to the 12 Colleges fully funded by them, albeit delayed.”
The issue of delayed payments has demoralised the teachers, although this hasn’t stopped Arvind Kejriwal from browbeating about his ‘Delhi model’. However, the brazen apathy of the Delhi government towards teachers is not a recent phenomenon.
When teachers and staff called for a one-day strike
In January this year, the teachers and staff of Delhi University organised a one-day strike against the non-clearance of dues to both the teaching and non-teaching staff of 12 colleges that are funded by the Delhi Government.
Reportedly, many did not receive their salaries from August 2021 and were forced to take loans to meet their daily needs. This in turn had exhausted their savings and affected their mental well-being.
While speaking about the matter, ANDC Assistant Professor Udai Veer Singh told NewsClick, “With what mood will you teach your students when you too are asking your friends and relatives for money to pay the school fee of your child? We have been executing our jobs with utmost honesty, and the salaries are our basic right.”
Screengrab of the article by News Click
“Still, Delhi Government is not paying us grants to pay salaries, medical expenses, and pensions,” he added. Singh also pointed out that the erratic disbursement of funds has destroyed the infrastructure of Acharya Narendra Dev College.
Singh explained that the funds’ reduction coupled with erratic grants from Delhi Government is worsening the infrastructure in the colleges. He also informed that the teachers had to knock on the doors of the Delhi High Court when they were not paid in the concluding months of 2020. “How many times can teachers approach the courts for our salaries?” he had asked.
The 12 colleges that have borne the brunt of Kejriwal’s apathy include Acharya Narendra Dev College, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Bhagini Nivedita College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya Women’s College, Maharaja Agrasen College (DU), Maharshi Valmiki College of Education, Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.
Salaries remained stuck for over a year
In November 2021, India Todayreported that about 1500 teachers and 2000 non-teaching staff members of 12 DU colleges, funded by the Delhi government, were left to fend for themselves for about a year.
This was because they were not paid salaries since November 2020. The struggle was intense for contract-based employees whose monthly salaries were just ₹15000. Some of them were able to get their hard-earned paycheck for a month after writing several letters to the authorities.
In a bid to make up for the failure of the Delhi government, the college administration decided to pay the salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff from the student welfare funds. This is despite the fact that such funds are to be used for the welfare of the student community.
Screengrab of the news report by India Today
The Delhi government, led by Arvind Kejriwal, wrote letters to the principals of the 12 colleges and accused them of provoking the teachers for demanding their salaries. Fearing intimidation, some teachers deliberately chose not to speak about their grievances.
The government had passed the buck on the institutions, blaming the latter for the non-disbursement of salaries. A professor told India Today, “We are being told to pay income tax on salaries we didn’t get. How insensitive can they get?”
The bone of contention
According to Maharaja Agrasen College teacher, Bhupinder Chaudhari, teachers are paying the price of a dispute between the Delhi government and the Delhi University.
He toldNewsClick, “The crisis is rooted in Delhi Government’s proposal that the memorandum of understanding signed between these colleges and the Delhi University at the time of their formation suggested that these colleges should arrange their funds and it will only pay the deficit money to run the colleges.”
“It advised the colleges to use their student society funds to pay their salaries. The colleges are of the opinion that it can not be used for the purpose and moved to the court for resolution. Since the matter is sub-judice, the Delhi Government stopped the funding of the colleges abruptly,” Chaudhari added.
He pointed out that the court did not order stopping the release of funds but the Delhi government chose to do it anyway. “If we go by the proposal of the Delhi Government itself that it will only pay the deficit, at least it should release grants until the matter is resolved. Any deficit/surplus can be adjusted later,” he concluded.
As such, it has been regular work and delayed paychecks for the teachers and non-teaching staff of the 12 unfortunate colleges of the University of Delhi.
Many Hindu families in the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh have been forced to abandon their homes owing to the fear of harassment at the hands of the Jihadi elements. Many residences in this area have ‘Ghar Bikau Hai’ (This house is for sale) posters in front of them. Muslim boys molest girls and get into fights if they are confronted, according to Hindu victims.
This is the story of Morthal village in the Aligarh area, where Muslim youths have made the lives of Hindu girls hell. According to an exclusive report by Times Now Navbharat, numerous Dalit families in Morthal village have vowed to abandon their homes after being constantly harassed by Muslims.
Furthermore, an attempt has been made to hide the ‘For Sale’ signs by painting those signs with black paint.
One of the victims told Times now, “These people (four Muslim youngsters) were using casteist remarks apart from abusing me. Not only that, but they were also making vulgar gestures toward me. When I told my father about it later that evening, he rebuked the teenagers, and the Muslim boys began beating him up. My father was beaten with a cycle chain, and I was dragged from inside the house and they hurled abuses at me. This is a daily occurrence.”
Another person from the area claimed that Muslim youngsters visit his neighborhood and engage in inappropriate behavior with girls and women. He said that the terror of Muslims has increased in the last few days.
When the girls were assaulted again on Sunday (September 4, 2022), the police were called, according to the complainant. The Dalit community claims that the police are not helping with the probe. At the same time, the village head is putting pressure and discussing a resolution on behalf of the Muslim side.
However, after receiving information about the incident, the police assured action by filing a complaint against the offenders. Police assured that nobody will have to leave and everyone will be assured of their safety.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) slammed hijab-clad girls whose video of celebrating Onam had gone viral on the internet. The Muslim body said hijab is a symbol of ’modesty and chastity’ and accused the girls of ’misusing’ it.
On Friday, the hijab wearing Islamist girls in a high school at Wandoor town in the Malappuram district of Kerala celebrated the festival of Onam with much gusto and excitement. The girls wearing Sari and donning hijab were seen dancing to the tunes of famous Malayali songs and celebrating the harvest festival after 4 long years, videos which had gone viral on the internet.
The video of the incident went viral on social media, with scores of netizens lauding the celebrations amid the recent hijab controversy that had emerged in neighbouring Karnataka. The netizens appreciated the multiculturalism depicted in the video and also praised the energy of around 600 school-going girls who danced during the celebration at the school.
“Our teachers asked us to prepare some programmes for Onam. They assured is some space in the school premises. The song which we played for the dance was from the movie Thallumala”, one of the students noted. Meanwhile the other one said that it is after two long years of COVID that we are having such kind of celebration. “Our teachers are with us in this and we are thrilled to know that”, the girl added.
A simple Onam celebration in a Kerala school has invited the ire of Muslim groups. Videos of hijab-wearing girls went viral on social media & had led a new controversy to blow up. Hijabi girls were scene dancing as part of Onam celebrations in their school. This has led to… pic.twitter.com/aFRxwL4m47
However, the incident drew the ire of Islamists, who slammed the school girls for ‘misusing’ the hijab. All India Muslim Personal Law Board criticised the hijab wearing girls dancing and said that ‘hijab is a Symbol of Modesty and Chastity’ and that it was being misused. Dr Asma Zehra Tayeba, the woman activist of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board tweeted saying, “Dancing wearing Hijab defeats it’s very purpose. Hijab is not just a dress. It’s a concept and ideology which ensures safety of women”.
Hijab Misused and Misrepresented. Hijab is a Symbol of Modesty and Chastity. Dancing wearing Hijab defeats it’s Very Purpose. Hijab is not Just a Dress it’s a Concept and Ideology which ensures Safety of Woman. https://t.co/XNkro4W1Lc
Recently, a massive controversy had erupted in the state of Karnataka after a few Islamist girls stayed adamant on wearing hijab inside the schools and college premises. They were denied entry by the authorities of the educational institutions for violating the standard uniform rules. Later the Islamist girls knocked the doors of the Karnataka High Court who ruled that wearing hijab has never been an essential practice of Islam. The Court ordered the girls to attend the schools and colleges without hijab.
Onam was celebrated with grandeur and joviality in Kerala on Thursday after its celebration had been hampered by the COVID-19 epidemic and accompanying restrictions in the previous two years. Onam festivities were also hampered in 2018 and 2019 by disastrous floods in areas of the state.
The Congress party had called for a bandh (shutdown) in Gujarat on 10th September 2022 in protest against inflation and other issues. The party workers staged protests at various places in the state during its 4-hour ‘symbolic bandh’, which was from 8 pm till 12 noon. However, the shutdown calls did not get any response from the people. In Patan, the Congress party workers forced the shopkeepers to shut their doors after a scuffle. It has also come to light that the Congress workers descended to hooliganism while interacting with these shopkeepers.
In Patan, the Congress party had called for the bandh but some shopkeepers in the market continued to operate. Congress workers then went out to the market to close the shops. In this process, the party workers quarrelled with a shopkeeper who had refused to shut down. But after an argument, the party workers forced the shopkeeper to pull the shutter of the shop down.
As the Gujarat assembly elections are approaching, the Congress party has also started making efforts to revive the party. However, it does not seem to be getting much success.
पाटन :
कोंग्रेस कार्यकर्ता और व्यापारी के बीच हुई कहासुनी,
OpIndia reached out to the shopkeeper and got details of the incident. It was found that Dineshbhai Prajapati, the owner of a shop named Shraddha Fabric located in the market of Patan, had just opened his shop in the morning. Congress workers came there and started arguing with him for opening the shop. The Congress workers misbehaved with him and forced him to shut the shop.
The video of this incident is currently going viral on social media. Congress workers, including some women, are seen talking to the shopkeeper in foul language. A woman is also seen holding the hand of the shopkeeper and pushing him inside the shop and asking him to shut it down. In the meantime, she is also heard abusing the shopkeeper. Eventually, the shopkeeper is seen closing the shutter of the shop after some Congress workers tried to pull it down.
‘I did not intend to oppose them, yet they misbehaved’: Shopkeeper Dineshbhai
Talking to OpIndia, shopkeeper Dineshbhai Prajapati said, “As per the routine, I opened the shop at nine o’clock in the morning. Soon after that, Congress workers came and started hooliganism and hurling abuses at me.”
He added, “No one has the right to indulge in such hooliganism. My intention was not to oppose the Congress bandh but I saw that other shops in the market are open. Therefore, I also opened my shop. But a mob of Congress workers came and hurled abuses.” He said the mob belonged to the Congress party and he knew one or two of them. He, however, refused to take any legal action.
He also said that the Congress workers misbehaved not only with him but also with other shopkeepers in the area who had kept the shop open. The Congress workers also had a similar argument with two other shopkeepers in the area.
The Congress party had called for a symbolic bandh from 8 am to 12 noon today. However, it received a response at only a few places and public life remained normal in the rest of the cities of the state. However, where people did not respond to the bandh, this kind of bullying was also seen.
Following the death of British Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, while reports emerged claiming that the monarch had ancestral links to Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, new reports have emerged establishing her direct ministerial links to the country of Pakistan. As surprising as it may seem, the reigning queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations has ruled the country of Pakistan for four years from 1952 to 1956.
Elizabeth and her father, George VI, controlled the world’s first Islamic Republic for nine years. The Queen’s reign over Pakistan ended 60 years ago, on March 23, 1956, when Pakistan assumed republic status. The saga began in the year 1947 when India attained independence and a new country named Pakistan was formed. George VI who was the last emperor of India assumed two separate titles then, becoming the king of India and the king of Pakistan. He ruled India as a king till it became a republic in 1950. However, his daughter Elizabeth inherited the throne of Pakistan after his death in 1952.
According to the reports, Elizabeth II was proclaimed as queen of seven separate nations at the time of her coronation in 1952. The countries then headed by her included the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ceylon, which eventually changed its name to Sri Lanka.
Image from Queen’s coronation ceremony in the year 1952 (Image source- Dawn)
While she headed as the queen of all these nations, her position remained mostly ceremonial, and her responsibilities were handled by one of her governor generals, a viceroy who essentially functions as head of state. Elizabeth II was the first empress of Pakistan, succeeding her father King George VI as monarch and ruled until March 23, 1956, when the nation assumed the title of the Islamic republic.
The country of Pakistan spent over Rs 4,82,000 for the Queen’s coronation back in the year 1952, which former Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra acknowledged by stating that as a Commonwealth member, Pakistan had to fall in line with other sister Dominions on such events.
The Queen’s coronation robe was donned with floral symbols from each Commonwealth country, including three from Pakistan- wheat, cotton, and jute. Queen Elizabeth II’s position as ruler of Pakistan, however, remained small and uninteresting, as she deliberately avoided participating in the nation and its political activities, while her governor-general served best a cosmetic function.
For instance, in the year 1953, the then governor-general Ghulam Muhammad fired the then prime minister Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin for attempting to equalize the power of West and East Pakistan. The Queen, the ruler of the country was then petitioned by the government but she refused to interfere in the matter. His rule over the country was abolished in 1956 only after the country of Pakistan adopted a republican constitution.
Queen Elizabeth II in Swat valley, 1961 (Image source- The Friday Times)
After her rule over Pakistan ended, she visited the country twice, first in the year 1961 and then in 1997. Elizabeth II, then 34, traveled to Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, and the northern provinces with her spouse, Prince Phillip from February 1 to 16, 1961. During her visit, the Queen had claimed Pakistan to be ‘one of the powers in the world of Islam’. She had also praised the country for being one of the great nations of the Commonwealth.
The second time she visited the nation was 36 years later, in the year 1997. She remained in the country from October 7-13, once again accompanied by her spouse Prince Philip. However, this time her visit coincided with Pakistan’s golden jubilee. She had addressed the joint sitting of the Pakistan Parliament and had advised the country to take efforts to end ‘historic disagreements’ with India. “I feel at home in Karachi as we share the same culture and understand each other well”, she had said.
To note, the constitution of Pakistan lasted for not more than two years, unlike India whose Constitution has been in place since its inception in the year 1950. Pakistan’s initial constitution is said to have collapsed for a multitude of reasons including West Pakistan’s failure to share power equitably with East Pakistan. United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 after a prolonged illness. She was facing health problems since October 2021 that left her with difficulties in walking and standing and breathed her last at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Days after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee lambasted party leader Mahua Moitra and warned her to not cross the line, the TMC MP from Karimpur appeared a bit ruffled and issued a similar advice to the BJP, asking them to refrain from commenting on the Opposition leaders’ personal clothing and belongings.
“Seriously advise BJP to not cross line & comment on Opposition’s personal clothes & belongings. Remember if we start doing the same with watches, pens, shoes, rings & clothes BJP MPs wear, you’ll rue the day you stated this game,” Moitra tweeted.
Source: Twitter
Moitra, who is deemed by a section of social media users as India’s AOC for her ability to make nonsensically exaggerated claims, contradicting herself routinely, and shamelessly indulging in hypocritical behaviour, tweeted a day after the BJP slammed the Congress party on social media, asserting that Rahul Gandhi, who has been raising the issue of inflation during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, was wearing a T-shirt worth Rs 41,257 on Friday.
Sharing Rahul Gandhi’s picture wearing a white tshirt along with a picture that said the tshirt costs Rs 41,257, the BJP called out the Wayanad MP over his attacks against the Centre over inflation.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee rebukes Mahua for interfering in organisational matters
However, Moitra’s meltdown warning the BJP to desist from commenting on the personal belongings and clothings of opposition leaders also came two days after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee gave a stern message to her, directing her to exercise restraint when it came to party organization matters outside of her own constituency.
In the booth-level workers’ meeting, Mamata Banerjee was heard saying, “Karimpur is no longer Mahua’s jurisdiction. It is under Abu Taher. He will look after it.” After saying this, Mamata Banerjee told Mahua Moitra, “You look after your Lok Sabha seat and (stick to) that area.”
TMC’s Mahua Moitra hides her Louis Vuitton bag in parliament, video goes viral
While Mahua’s tweet came after Rahul Gandhi was seen sporting an expensive t-shirt, it cannot be discounted that her attack on the BJP may have been influenced by the controversy that erupted last month after she was seen hiding her Rs 1.6 lakhs worth Louis Vuitton bag during price rise debate in the parliament.
As the camera panned toward Dr Kakoli Ghost Dastidar, a Member of Parliament from Trinamool Congress, who stood up to speak on the price rise, Mahua Moitra, sitting beside her, took her Louis Vuitton bag placed adjacent to her on the seat, moved it close to her legs where it was not visible to the Lok Sabha camera.
The snippet had instantly gone viral as social media wondered how one of the representatives of the Trinamool Congress party, which has been targeting the Centre over inflation, was carrying an ultra-expensive handbag to the parliament.
As the European Union countries are hit badly by the sanctions they have imposed on Russia for the war on Ukraine, they are taking desperate measures to come out of this self-created damage. In such a move, it has been learnt that the EU has quietly lifted the ban on Russian fertiliser, but only for themselves. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused the EU of discriminating against developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America by continuing to block the export of Russian fertilisers lying in European ports.
At a security council meeting in Moscow on Friday, Putin said that thousands of tonnes of Russian fertilisers are lying in European ports due to the sanctions, and recently European Union unblocked delivery of fertilisers to EU countries, but deliveries of Russian fertilisers to other countries through its ports are still prohibited. He said that while the decision to lift the sanction on fertilisers is welcome, limiting only to EU countries is unacceptable.
According to reports, Putin said, “We know also that the European Commission has unblocked supplies of Russian fertilisers, has lifted sanctions. We welcome such decisions, however, the clarification of the European Commission was issued on this matter on August 10. It turns out that only European Union’s member-states can buy our fertilisers, while supplies of our and Belarusian fertilisers via ports of European nations to developing countries – to Asian, African, and Latin American markets – are still prohibited and impossible. This is the discrimination of our partners.”
Vladimir Putin further added, “I believe the discrimination of Asian, African, and Latin American nations is unacceptable.” He said that the Russian govt will consider the proposals of European partners on fertiliser supplies to them, but issues concerning fertiliser supplies to other countries need to be resolved as well.
The Russian president also said that Russia is ready to hand over its potash fertilisers stuck in European ports free of charge to developing countries. He said that hundreds of thousand tonnes of fertilisers are piled up in certain European ports. “Our producers – in my opinion, this primarily refers to potash fertilisers – are ready as a matter of fact to give them free of charge to developing countries badly needing these fertilisers,” he said.
Putin also asked the Russian Foreign Affairs ministry to work out this issue. He also asked the ministry to support the delivery of Belarusian fertilisers also. Being a close ally of Russia in the ongoing war, Belarus is also facing sanctions.
The Russian president also informed that in four months of 2022, Russia has exported 7 million tonnes of fertilisers, and almost half of that, around 3 million tonnes were exported to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. “Over the four months of this year, Russia has exported 7 million tonnes of fertilisers, including potash, nitrogen, complex fertilisers, mixed fertilisers. Around 3 million tonnes of them went to the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America,” he said. He further added that Russia is ready to supply 2 million tonnes of ammonia.
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, September 6, directed six family members of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to present affidavits in connection with a case involving their properties and other assets. An order in this regard was passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, that was hearing a plea filed by Arijit Majumder, who alleged an exponential rise in the properties and assets of the CM’s family members.
Amit Banerjee, Ajit Banerjee, Sameer Banerjee, Swapan Banerjee, Ganesh Banerjee, and Kajri Banerjee are six members of Mamata Banerjee’s family who have been named as accused in the case. The court has ordered the aforementioned kins of the TMC supremo to provide affidavits by November 11. The court will hear the PIL on November 28.
In the plea, the petitioner Arijit Majumder, who is being represented by BJP leader and lawyer Tarunjyoti Tiwari, claimed that the Trinamool Congress chief’s family amassed properties worth more than Rs 20 crores, specifically after the year 2011.
“We have shown each and every document that shows a huge increase in the assets of the family members of Mamata Banerjee. We have shown that in election affidavits, they did not disclose the actual assets. We have shown properties worth more than Rs 20 crores have been acquired by them, at different times, specifically after 2011, more specifically after 2013 when the chit fund scam was busted,” said the petitioner.
He further alleged that TMC leader Kunal Ghosh stated that the “money of Saradha Chit Fund is lying with Mamata Banerjee.”
Meanwhile, the court, during the next hearing on November 28, has summoned Trinamool State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh as a witness in the case. Mamata Banerjee has not been made a party in the case. Moreover, the CBI Director and the Director of the Income Tax Department have been named as defendants in this case.
Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Mamata Banerjee accused in a money laundering case linked to the coal scam
Notably, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, a Member of Parliament from the Diamond Harbour seat, is also on ED’s radar in a case registered against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED had found that the TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was the beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. However, he has denied all charges.
The case was filed under criminal sections of the (PMLA) by the ED based on the FIR filed by the CBI in November 2020. The FIR had alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol.
The Enforcement Directorate had previously filed a complaint with a special court saying that incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee of Diamond Harbor, and his family got illicit income from illegal coal mining in the state. It went on to say that it was made possible by a “deep system” of political patronage fueled by “well-oiled” machinery.
A disturbing story of religious conversion has emerged from the state of Chhattisgarh, which has been bearing the brunt of the Christian Missionaries’ conversion programme for years. According to a report by Zee News Hindi, the son of a Hindu man named Budhram deceitfully buried his father’s deceased body according to Christian customs rather than cremating it as per the Hindu rituals.
The incident occurred in the Atariya Vangram village of Khudia Police Outpost in Mungeli District, which falls within the jurisdiction of Lormi Police Station in Chattisgarh.
Budhram, a member of the indigenous Baiga tribe, was said to have two sons. His younger son reportedly committed the act after ‘outsiders’ persuaded him to convert to Christianity and bury his deceased father according to Christian rituals in exchange for money.
When the deceased’s eldest son learnt of this, he told his tribal community’s people and public representatives about the entire occurrence. Everyone was upset and began looking into who committed the sin. It was determined that this act was perpetrated by some “outsiders” who were misleading the innocent tribal people about their faith and luring them to convert by offering money.
A demand for stern action was made while submitting a complaint against all of those individuals at the Lormi Police station.
Meanwhile, when further information about this ongoing conspiracy was acquired, it was revealed that the game of conversion was being carried out by a certain institution active in the area for numerous years. The local villagers stated that about 20 years ago, people of the Oraon caste from Surguja burgled their villages and polluted their culture, disturbing the existing peace and harmony of the village. These ‘outsiders’ started persuading the indigenous Baiga tribals to convert to Christianity by luring them with money and various other resources.
The irate locals demanded strict action against these ‘outsiders’ who are duping and converting innocent tribals to their religion.
Condemning the incident, a former district panchayat member stated that he has received information regarding a major conspiracy brewing in which some individuals in the area are being pushed to convert to their religion. He demanded strict action against the perpetrators.
‘Ghar Wapsi’ of 1250 people in a tribal village in Chhattisgarh
Notably, Chhattisgarh has a long conversion history. In fact, the conspiracy that started when Christian missionaries laid their foundation during British rule in the early twentieth century continues until today. These Missionaries mostly target the tribal-dominated areas in the state.
In March 2022, OpIndia reported how as many as 1250 persons in Chhattisgarh returned to Sanatan Dharma. Arya Pratinidhi Samaj arranged the Mahayagya. BJP State Secretary Prabal Pratap Singh Judev spearheaded the charge to bring people to their roots by washing the feet of those who returned to the Sanatan Dharma with Gangajal.
