Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday dodged a question of whether anti-Gujarat ‘activist’ Medha Patkar is the party’s CM face for the upcoming assembly polls.
When one of the journalists present at the press conference asked if Medha Patkar, the famed ‘activist’ known for her ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ against the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river, will be the CM face of AAP, Kejriwal sidestepped the question and asked the journalist to ask BJP if they are planning to have Sonia Gandhi as PM candidate after PM Modi.
“I have heard that the BJP is going to anoint Sonia Gandhi as PM candidate after Modi Ji. Ask them what are their views on it. Tell them, Kejriwal has accused that you are going to make Sonia Gandhi the successor of PM Modi for the post of Prime Minister,” Kejriwal said while circumventing the question of whether AAP has chosen Medha Patkar to be CM candidate in Gujarat.
Kejriwal’s evasive manoeuvres over the chief ministerial face of AAP stem from the apprehensions about the prospect of Medha Patkar’s elevation to a leadership role in the state evoked among party cadres.
Medha Patkar’s name as AAP CM face in Gujarat stirs trouble
Earlier this month, reports had emerged that anti-Gujarat ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ ‘activist’ Medha Patkar would be the chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat for AAP. This came as a surprise to many because till now it was AAP Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi who was believed to be the favourite candidate. However, things got more wind when AAP MP Sanjay Singh retweeted a video hailing Medha Patkar and the same was later amplified by Isudan Gadhvi.
However, sources in the know said that after the reports emerged that Medha Patkar will likely be the chief minister candidate for AAP in Gujarat, 13 out of 19 leaders who were given AAP tickets for upcoming elections had decided to quit the party. Kejriwal going to reportedly hold a meeting to pacify the leaders.
Therefore, when a journalist asked about reports that said Medha Patkar might be the CM face of AAP in Gujarat, Kejriwal cleverly dodged answering the question and instead came up with an absurd allegation that Sonia Gandhi will be the PM candidate from the BJP.
Why Medha Patkar is considered a pariah in the state of Gujarat
Medha Patkar is not the most liked person in Gujarat because of her anti-Gujarat stand especially her role in stalling the Sardar Sarovar Dam work which kept Gujarat dry for decades. Parts of Gujarat are just receiving Narmada water because the dam height work was stalled by the likes of Patkar. Obviously, the people of Gujarat have not forgiven her.
Patkar had earlier joined Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 ahead of general elections but had eventually resigned from the party in 2015. And while she has not officially announced her return to mainstream politics, Aam Aadmi Party has also not denied in as many words that Medha Patkar will not be the CM candidate for the party in upcoming polls.
Medha Patkar, over and above having an anti-Gujarat stand, is also accused of misusing funds. An FIR was lodged against her in July this year accusing her of misappropriating funds. Prior to this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also filed an FIR against activist Medha Patkar on April 5 this year for suspected money laundering during the “Narmada Bachao Andolan”. In addition to the ED, investigations into Patkar’s shady dealings have also been initiated by the Department of Revenue Intelligence and the Income Tax Department.
If her credentials are anything to go by, Medha Patkar is a match made in heaven for the Aam Aadmi Party. Kejriwal’s refusal to proffer an unambiguous denial over Patkar being the Gujarat CM face for the party only strengthens the reports that the anti-Gujarat ‘activist’ might be in serious contention for being the party’s CM nominee for upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.
The Vedanta Group and Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronic manufacturing powerhouse, have announced plans to establish a massive semiconductor manufacturing facility in Gujarat. Anil Agarwal, the chairman of Vedanta Group, announced the news on Twitter.
“Happy to announce that the new Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor plant will be set up in #Gujarat. Vedanta’s landmark investment of 1.54 lakh crores will help make India’s #Atmanirbhar Silicon Valley a reality,” Agarwal tweeted. He further added, “This project will help fulfil Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of creating a robust manufacturing base in India. It will reduce our electronics imports & provide 1 lakh direct skilled jobs to our people…going from job seekers to job creators!”
This project will help fulfil Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of creating a robust manufacturing base in India. It will reduce our electronics imports & provide 1 lakh direct skilled jobs to our people…going from job seekers to job creators! (2/4)
Vedanta and Foxconn also inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government on Tuesday to establish the plant in the state. The MoU was signed in Gandhinagar in the presence of Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology.
According to reports, Vedanta received financial and non-financial incentives from Gujarat, including capital expenditure and low-cost power, to establish the semiconductor facility. The project would feature display and semiconductor factories in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel stated that the initiative will create more than 100,000 jobs and that the state was willing to provide whatever assistance to the project, which it won in a close contest with India’s wealthiest state, Maharashtra. This, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a crucial step in accelerating India’s semiconductor manufacturing goals.
This MoU is an important step accelerating India’s semi-conductor manufacturing ambitions. The investment of Rs 1.54 lakh crore will create a significant impact to boost economy and jobs. This will also create a huge ecosystem for ancillary industries and help our MSMEs. https://t.co/nrRbfKoetd
According to Foxconn, the state’s infrastructure and the government’s active assistance “increases confidence in setting up a semiconductor factory.” According to the government, India’s semiconductor business would be worth $63 billion by 2026, up from $15 billion in 2020.
On Tuesday, September 13, a video went viral on social media wherein some women police officers can be seen harassing, manhandling, and forcefully detaining a lady passenger on a railway platform. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in West Bengal, from where these ladies were travelling to Kolkata to participate in the BJP’s ‘Nabanna Cholo’ rally, which is taking place today (Tuesday, September 13).
Kanchan Gupta, a veteran journalist and the senior adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, took to Twitter to reshare a Tweet posted by Raju Bista, the BJP spokesperson and MP from Darjeeling. While re-sharing the video, Kanchan Gupta Tweeted, “This is how @MamataOfficial Cops are stopping people from going to Kolkata to join a protest rally. This is how democracy functions in @MahuaMoitra’s republic of fear.”
Kanchan Gupta reshared a thread of Tweets from BJP leader Raju Bista, in which he shared a video of the alleged act as well as a copy of the complaint letter he wrote to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics and Information Technology in the Government of India, drawing his attention to the incident.
In the 2.20-minute long video shared by the BJP MP, a woman in a black salwar suit is seen walking on the railway platform along with another woman when three-four female police officers abruptly stop her. The officers inquired as to her destination. When the lady tries to leave, three female officers grab her. The officers try to take the lady’s phone from her hands as well. While struggling to free herself, the lady asks the woman accompanying her to record the event. She is seen urging the cops not to touch her and to speak to her from a safe distance.
The lady filming the act can be heard asking the police officers what crime they committed to be treated in this manner. “Police are supposed to protect us,” she cries, “why are you doing this, what is her fault?” The cops, on the other hand, do not respond and continue to grip the woman tightly.
Three female officers continue to tightly grab the woman’s hand, preventing her from releasing herself. While the other woman and she continue to ask the police officers about their offence and why they are being harassed and manhandled, the officers remain silent and continue to tighten their grip on her.
“Section 147(1) and 175(c) of Railways Act was designed to prevent such highhandedness, which could have escalated, leading to stampede, and even death of a passenger. @RailMinIndia | @MinistryWCD@smritiirani | @BJPMahilaMorcha,” Tweeted Raju Bista while sharing the video.
In his subsequent Tweet, Bista, the BJP MP from Darjeeling, shared a copy of a complaint letter he wrote to Ashwini Vaishnaw wherein he urged the latter to initiate an inquiry against the officers responsible for the “rash and negligent” act.
BJP leader Raju Bista’s letter to the railway minister
Condemning the high-handedness of the West Bengal police working at the behest of CM Mamata Banerjee, the BJP leader wrote, “I have grounds to believe that the WB Police personnel entered the Railway stations and platforms without seeking due permission from the Railway authorities, and went onto detain and physically assault many passengers. They terrorised the passengers, and put their lives at grave risk due to their rash and negligent act. This situation could have escalated, leading to a stampede, and even the death of a passenger.
I am, therefore, writing to request you to kindly initiate an inquiry into these incidents and ensure that all those who entered the railway premises illegally and unlawfully are dealt with strictly according to law.
I am attaching videos of some passengers who were arrested and tortured for your kind reference,” read the letter.
BJP organises ‘Nabanna Cholo’ mega rally in Kolkata against Mamata Banerjee government
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has organised a mega ‘Nabanna Cholo’ rally on Tuesday to protest against the alleged corrupt practices of the ruling TMC government. The BJP has hired seven trains, three from north Bengal and four from the south, to bring its party members and supporters from different parts of West Bengal to join ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (march to the secretariat) on September 13.
Senior BJP leader and former state president of the party, Rahul Sinha had earlier on Monday warned that the TMC-run administration was “trying to create hurdles in the way” of supporters willing to come to the city to join the rally.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the West Bengal police have put police barricades on the way to railway stations. The cops have also put up water canons at critical areas like Howrah.
Reports of BJP workers and police clashing outside the Raniganj railway station as workers headed for Kolkata for the Nabanna Cholo rally surfaced on Tuesday morning.
West Bengal police detain BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Locket Chatterjee
As per the latest reports, BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Locket Chatterjee have been detained by police ahead of the march.
“CM Mamata doesn’t have the support of her people & so she is enforcing dictatorship, similar to North Korea in Bengal… Police will have to pay for what it’s been doing since yesterday, BJP is coming,” Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said ahead of the ‘Nabanna Chalo’ march.
Earlier, BJP leader Abhijit Dutta had said, “Twenty of our workers stopped by police near Durgapur railway station. I reached here using other paths.”
On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Police arrested seven persons for allegedly murdering a Hindu boy named Deepak Barde from Shrirampur, Ahmednagar. The accused allegedly killed Deepak Barde for having a relationship with a Muslim girl named Saniya Shaikh and fleeing from home to marry her a month ago. The Police are interrogating all the arrested accused in the case.
According to the reports, the accused, who are relatives of the girl, brutally murdered Deepak and threw his body into the Godavari river. The Police are investigating the case and are searching for his dead body in the river. The deceased belonged to the Adivasi Bhil community and was a resident of the Bhokar village in Shrirampur taluka of Ahmednagar district. He had gone missing since August 31 and the incident came to light after the father of the deceased, Raosaheb Barde filed an FIR at the Shrirampur Police Station.
Deepak Barde a Hindu-Bhil (tribal) kidnapped for murder allegedly by Majnu Shaikh & his relatives in Ahmednagar over a relationship with Shaikh’s daughter. Deepak’s father tells me, worried for son, Search on by police teams, story soon in @eOrganiser
Deepak’s family suspected that the family members of the woman had killed Deepak as they both had fled from home a month ago. Father Raosaheb Barde in the FIR mentioned that Deepak was kidnapped by Saniya’s family members with the intention of murder. He said that his son had gone to Pune for some work and then never returned from there. “He (Deepak) talked to me last at 8:30 pm and on the next day a few people from our village informed me that Saniya’s father Majnu Shaikh and uncle Imran had abducted my son”, Deepak’s father said.
“I thought they nabbed my son because he had fled with their daughter. I went to the Shrirampur taluka police station but did not share the entire thing, as I felt the complaint, in this case, would be lodged in Pune”, he said adding that Deepak was forcibly brought to Majnu’s house in Bhokar village and was brutally beaten for being in a relationship with Saniya. “Deepak has been untraceable since then”, the FIR signed by Raosaheb Barde read.
The Police began an investigation into the case and found out that Deepak and Saniya Shaikh had fled from home a month ago to marry each other. However, the Police have no evidence confirming that the duo had married each other. “The statement of the woman has also not been recorded yet. But they had a relationship and had escaped together earlier”, the Police quoted.
Meanwhile, Raosaheb, the father of the deceased stated that the duo had fled together but later returned to the village as Saniya’s family members were not happy with their relationship.
Based on a complaint filed by Deepak’s father, the Police had earlier arrested four persons, including Saniya’s father Majnu Shaikh, uncle Imran, and family members Samir Shaikh, and Ajij Shaikh. A case under sections 342, 364 (kidnapping or abducting to murder), 34 of the Indian Penal Code, and sections of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had also been filed against them.
Earlier, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane took cognizance of the incident and had asked the Shrirampur Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the case. “Deepak has been killed because he was a Hindu. We’ll not spare anyone who targets the people from the Hindu community. We Hindus should come together for victims like Deepak. We must show our strength. The accused have been arrested but Deepak is still missing. We will not tolerate this. A thorough investigation should be done in the case and Deepak and his family should get justice”, Rane had said.
In the current case, after the initial investigation, the Maharashtra Police have arrested three more persons and have booked all seven accused under the relevant sections of the law. However, the Police are still looking for the dead body of the deceased in the Godavari river and are further investigating the case. OpIndia tried to contact the Police for additional information but the calls remained unanswered.
One of the most iconic things about Karnavati, or as some people call it Amdavad/Ahmedabad, are the autorickshaw-walas. They’re so iconic that one of the quite popular Gujarati songs is an ode to the rickshawwala.
The above song is sung by Kishore Kumar and is one of the favourites of mine.
Aam Aadmi Party today put up a cartoon of a rickshawwala with his leg sticking out trying to show Kejriwal is unstoppable. I am not sure about other cities, but the leg sticking out gesture by rickshawwalas has been a quintessential Amdavadi thing. It is their way of showing side signal.
The autorickshaw in the cartoon has ‘I :heart: Kejriwal’ written on it along with a ‘danger’ symbol on the green paint part it. It also has 3 heart emojis. Interestingly, the autorickshaw number here is also 999, like in the above song where Asrani is shown singing. Similar image was shared by another AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj.
While base image is the same, there is a typo in ‘Kejariwal’ here and one random Gujarati sentence on the rickshaw which reads ‘side ma hend alya‘ (come here, this side) instead of ‘side aap alya‘ (give side). This is what happens when you try to be cool but get references wrong.
He also added a caption ‘Kejriwal rukega nahi‘ (Kejriwal won’t stop). Obviously, this was a free hit for those who do not leave a chance to mock the Delhi CM.
So as third person looking in, if Arvind Kejriwal is playing up the ‘autorickshawwala is common man’ part, it would be quite a smart thing.
Except, that is not it.
Kejriwal is not trying to tap into average Amdavadi’s emotions. He is playing his old trick of ‘autowalas as votebank’ politics.
Arvind Kejriwal, in what he wanted everyone to believe was an ‘impromptu’ decision, went for a meal at an autorickshaw driver’s home in Ahmedabad. He went there after he invited him over for a meal during a meet-and-greet session he had with ‘common man of Ahmedabad’ along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.
Except, in November 2021, similar such ‘impromptu’ dinner invitation was extended by yet another autorickshaw driver in Punjab when he was on a campaign trail for Punjab elections.
Moment of the Day ❤️
When CM @ArvindKejriwal accepted an Auto-rickshaw driver’s dinner invitation.
Furthermore, Kejriwal ji went ahead & invited the Punjab Auto Driver’s family for dinner at CM house in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/K57JwTaOYo
Same modus operandi. While it is not yet out if the Ahmedabad rickshawwala was an AAP worker, the Punjab one turned out to be one. So clearly, it was a staged thing to make it appear like Kejriwal is a ‘common man’. One of the AAP insiders told me how this has been their long time strategy of ‘planting’ people who would say such things or ask ‘tough questions’ – the answers of which are already decided. An elaborate rehearsal is also carried out before such events to make sure things go as per planned.
Which is fine, as it is all politics and Kejriwal wants to portray a certain brand image for himself. But then why keep the pretence of being a ‘common man’.
Because turns out in Delhi, those are his ‘vote bank’. Ahead of 2013 Delhi state assembly elections, when AAP formed government in Delhi for first time with support of Congress (only to have Kejriwal resign and go contest general elections against Modi from Varanasi), AAP had roped in thousands of autorickshaw drivers and put up party advertisement on them. He had made huge promises to autorickshaw drivers in Delhi. Which is why they supported him even when he broke his own government in 49 days.
As per this report, around 90% of autorickshaw driver in Delhi had supported him back in 2013. Only to be disillusioned a year later after the promises were broken. In February 2014, autorickshaw union in Delhi had already withdrawn support to Kejriwal for not taking any steps to better their lives.
And while Kejriwal did come to power again in Delhi after 2014 general elections disaster, for 2020 elections he again reached out to his core base, the faithful autorickshaw drivers. See, many of the autorickshaw drivers come from economically weak section and live in shanties/jhuggis. The ‘free bijli, free water’ lollypop is very attractive move in a country where even after 75 years, people are deprived of basic amenities. In June 2019, days after 2019 general elections and just months ahead of state assembly elections, Kejriwal had again lured the autorickshaw drivers by arranging 18.75% hike in fares.
Political posters on autorickshaws are a great, not so expensive, tool for campaigning. You are bound to see an autorickshaw when you step out of the house. So obviously it makes for great marketing material (as if Kejriwal was not spending crores on PR anyway). Which is why these planned ‘candid’ PR stunts where he goes for meals at the homes of autorickshaw drivers.
Not because he genuinely cares but because it makes for great advertising.
You know it, I know it, mainstream media knows it and even Kejriwal knows it. But he still thinks an average voter will fall for his tricks.
On April 28, 2022, a new law was passed in the United Kingdom titled Nationality and Borders Act. The new law gave powers to the Home Minister of the UK to strip British people’s citizenship without warning. Though the law does not allow the British government to leave anyone stateless, the law, however, gives power to Home Office to take away the citizenship of those who already have dual citizenship or have the eligibility to apply for citizenship in any other country.
To understand the act passed by the UK House of Lords, it is first essential to understand what citizenship is. Citizenship can be defined as a legal status or legal right that a person has to live in a particular country. A citizen has the right to have easy access to welfare, education, healthcare and voting rights. Citizenship provides a person’s identity and a sense of self and belonging.
In the UK those who are not citizens but have the right to live in the country permanently with many of the same rights have the legal status as ‘settled’ or ‘leave to remain’. In other countries, it is also known as permanent residency. In the case of asylum seekers, they are provided with the status settled before giving them citizenship after following the due process. It is same in more or less same in most countries.
Can a person born in the UK lose citizenship?
It is one of the most crucial questions that came up since the law was passed. A person can lose his or her citizenship in the UK even if that person was born in the UK but the descendants were from another country. According to New Statesman’s report, around six million people living in the UK could be affected by the new law. Furthermore, out of these six million over 400,000 people who were born in the UK but from a non-white ethnic minority background were at risk of losing citizenship if the Home Office thinks there it is for national security.
Source: New Stateman
Notably, the UK authorities are bound to ensure as per international law that any person losing the citizenship of the UK does not become stateless. That means the person should either have dual citizenship or has an option to apply for citizenship in another country. The case of ISIS bride Shamima Begum was a classic example as she was born in the UK but her parents were of Bangladeshi descent. Her citizenship was stripped based on the argument that she could apply for citizenship in Bangladesh.
Changes brought by Nationality and Borders Act in the citizenship system in the UK
The government of the UK already had the power to remove the citizenship of anyone in the UK. The government had used its powers many times especially when it comes to individuals associated with proscribed organizations including Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. The government also stripped the citizenship of several individuals who obtained citizenship using fraudulent methods.
In these cases, the government had to inform the person that such a process was being initiated against them. Those individuals then had the right to appeal against the decision of the government. In many cases, it took several years for the courts to decide on the petitions filed by the individuals who lost their citizenship.
The new law provided the Home Office power to strip anyone’s citizenship without prior warning or informing the person in question. Though the government has said that it will use the particular clause only in “exceptional” cases, such as if someone was in a war zone, hiding or impossible to trace, it has been claimed by the activists that this act would target ethnic minorities.
In fact, in a recent report released by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) pointed out that the new law targets “almost exclusively Muslims, mostly of south Asian heritage, embedding discrimination and creating a lesser form of citizenship.”
Reasons that may lead to stripping a person’s citizenship
Under the new law, the home secretary can strip anyone of his or her citizenship if the case is deemed fit for the following reasons:
It will be in the public interest and would not make the person ‘stateless’
If the person obtained citizenship through fraud
If the person has indulged in activities that may harm the interests of the UK
If the person can claim citizenship elsewhere. It is notable that the UK has an obligation under international law to avoid leaving people stateless. Unless the authorities are satisfied that the person has or can apply for citizenship of another country, it will not strip the person’s citizenship of the UK.
Can the person appeal against the decision?
The right to appeal against the decision of the government is still intact. However, if the person is not informed, unlike before, the government can still go ahead and strip the citizenship of the particular person. The person upon receiving the information after getting stripped of citizenship will have the right to appeal against the decision of the government in the court in the UK.
How many people lost citizenship in the UK?
According to the Home Office, on average 19 people were stripped of their citizenship between 2010 to 2018 as it was in the “public interest”. On average, 17 people lost their citizenship during the same period as they obtained the same using fraudulent methods.
As per the immigration law website Free Movement, over 460 people were stripped of their citizenship in the UK between 2006 and 2020. Out of these 460 people, 289 were removed for fraud and 175 lost citizenship for security reasons.
The high profile cases where citizenship was stripped of
There have been several high-profile cases that made headlines where people were stripped of their citizenship. The first case is of Shamima Begum the Bethnal Green schoolgirl, who was only 15 years old when she fled to Syria and joined the terrorist group ISIS in 2015. In February 2020, her citizenship was stripped stating she was a citizen of Bangladesh by descent and removing her citizenship would not make her stateless. Bangladesh, on the other hand, denied it and said it would not allow Begum to enter the country. In February 2021, the Supreme Court of the UK decided against Begum and did not allow her to enter the UK to appeal against the government’s decision.
Another high-profile case was that of Tauqir Sharif, an alleged aid worker from Walthamstow. His citizenship was removed for national security reasons based on the fact that he had moved to Syria with his wife in 2012. His citizenship was removed in 2017. As per the Home Office, it was believed that Sharif had links to Al-Qaeda.
The division of asylum seekers
According to the new law, asylum seekers have been divided into two groups named “group 1” and “group 2”. Here group 1 consists of people who meet the new entry requirements while group 2 is made up of those who do not. If a person fails to get a visa in the UK, he or she applies for asylum. These are the people who come from countries UK authorities mostly avoid giving out visas. These people are now designated as “group 2”.
As per the new law, the right to claim asylum in the country is based on how they entered the UK. Those crossing the English Channel on small boats are to be considered committing an offence and these people will be liable for prosecution. The idea behind this particular section is to put a stop to illegal immigration into the country.
Group 2 people are more likely to send to a safe country for asylum, most probably Rwanda. Though there are a lot of aspects to what the law intercepts for the people who lost their citizenship, residential rights or immigration status based on how they entered and what their background or associations are, the law is, in fact, made to deal with the menace of illegal immigration.
The offshore asylum
One of the interesting aspects of the new law was those who seek asylum in the UK can be provided offshore asylum in the African nation Rwanda. In April 2022, before the Nationality and Borders Act was passed by the UK House of Lords, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UK and Rwanda that allowed the UK to send asylum seekers to Rwanda on a temporary basis to seek asylum in the African nation.
As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the UK is responsible for making the arrangements for the transportation of the individual along with other formalities. After the law was passed, those who ought to claim asylum and later citizenship in the country can be sent to Rwanda. Those who are waiting for the ruling on the asylum status are included in the list.
It is interesting to see that the UK, a nation that criticized India for bringing in a law to give citizenship to the immigrants who faced religious persecution in neighbouring Islamic countries, brought a law that according to a think tank targets Muslims. In its criticism of India, the UK echoed the baseless allegations of the activists and opposition parties that the government of India left out Muslims from CAA despite the fact that Muslims do not get persecuted in the countries included in CAA on the basis of religion.
On Monday, the Economic Offences Wing of Madhya Pradesh police arrested the bishop of the Church of North India’s Jabalpur Diocese PC Singh, and registered a case of cheating against him. This is after the Police detained Singh for questioning from the Nagpur Airport, Maharashtra.
Earlier on Thursday, the EOW had conducted raids at the residential premises of the bishop to recover crores of cash and foreign currency. The EOW also raided the office of the Church to recover documents related to the alleged misappropriation of funds. PC Singh has been charged with cheating and engaging in the misappropriation of funds in running an educational society.
Madhya Pradesh’s EOW Finds 174 Bank Accnts Linked To Church Of North India’s Bishop PC Singh EOW Jabalpur told they also found Rs 2.02 Crs worth of Fixed Deposit Receipts n 174 bank accnts linked to him. Now focus on @myogiadityanath to dismantle PC Singh’s Prayagraj black racket pic.twitter.com/dC81JwCq72
The EOW official stated that the Board of Education Church of North India Jabalpur Diocese chairman Bishop PC Singh forged the documents to change the original name of the educational society and illegally diverted student fees collected by the society. Preliminary investigations revealed that Singh had illegally transferred around Rs 2.7 crores collected as students’ fees by the society between 2004-05 and 2011-12 to religious institutions and misused the money to fulfilling his personal needs.
However, on Monday the Police confirmed that it recovered Rs 1.65 crore and USD 18,000 (Rs 14.3 lakh) from PC Singh’s residence and also found a total of Rs 2.02 crore worth of Fixed Deposit Receipts. The Police said that there are around 174 bank accounts linked to him out of which 128 are personal or under various organizations, he is tied with, and the remaining 46 are attached to educational institutions.
“It has been found that money from educational institutions transactions has taken place and gone into personal accounts. We have a lot of information, but as the investigation progresses, we will work it out. But our first step is the educational institutions and looking into siphoning of funds from them. And also looking into the source of where the money has come from and where it has been spent. Whatever illegal activities that the money has been spent on will be taken into account and action will be taken”, SP Devendra Singh Rajput noted in the case.
To note, Bishop PC Singh was also involved in a land scam that had come to light in the year 2019. It was reported that Bishop Peter Baldev of the Church of North India and his 16 other associates had illegally sold land worth Rs 10,000 crores in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and surrounding areas.
An FIR was also registered against Bishop Peter Baldev and 16 others including P.C. Singh, P.P. Marandi, P.K. Samanta Roy, general secretary Alwin Masih, Jayant Agarwal, Pal Dupahre, P.P. Habil, Suresh Jacob, Rajiv Chand, A.R. Stephen, H.R. Mal, Marvin Masih, Prem Masih, Ashok Vishwas, Prabal Dutta, and Shashi Prakash
In the current case, an FIR against Bishop PC Singh and former assistant registrar of Firms and Societies BS Solanki has been registered in the case. The duo has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document or electronic record), and 120 B (punishment for criminal conspiracy).
On Tuesday (September 13), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided 33 locations across various states regarding the Sub-Inspector recruitment scam in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per reports, searches were conducted in Bengaluru, Ghaziabad, Gandhinagar, Rewari, Karnal, and Srinagar among other places. The central agency raided the properties belonging to Ashok Kumar, Khalid Jehangir, and Jammu and Kashmir police officials (including a CRPF officer and a DSP).
While Khalid is the ex-Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), Kumar is the Controller of Examination of JKSSB.
Raids also being conducted at the premises of officials of J&K Police, DSP & CRPF.
SI recruitment scam: Background and the case so far
The exam for the appointment of Sub Inspectors was conducted on March 27, 2022, while the results were announced on June 4 this year. A total of 1200 candidates were selected out of 97000 candidates, who appeared for the exam.
The recruitment scam led to the selection of a large number of candidates from the Jammu, Samba, and Rajouri districts of the Union territory. The unsuccessful candidates reportedly took to the streets to protest against the scam.
A month later, the exam was cancelled by the Jammu and Kashmir administration. Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, recommended a CBI investigation into the matter on July 8. Soon after, an Inquiry Committee was constituted to unearth the identity of those involved in the scam.
JKP Sub-Inspector recruitment has been cancelled & a CBI probe has been recommended into selection process. Culprits will be brought to justice soon. It’s a first big step towards securing future of our youth & govt will soon decide future course of action for fresh recruitment.
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) July 8, 2022
In August, the CBI raided 30 locations and booked Ashwani Kumar (ex CRPF officer), Dr Karnail Singh (a BSF medical officer), and 3 officials (Narayan Dutt, Bishan Dass, Anju Raina) of the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board. In total, the central agency booked a whopping 33 people and entities.
A CBI spokesperson informed that some candidates, with the help of Board officials and a Bengaluru-based private company, caused irregularities during the exam for the post of Sub-Inspector. “Violation of rules by JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting question paper to Bengaluru based private company,” the official added.
On Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigating into the murder case of pharmacist Umesh Kolhe declared monetary reward of Rs 2 lakh to anyone who would provide leading information to arrest the absconding accused. The NIA has already arrested 10 accused in the case and is now looking for accused Shaheem Ahmed who is absconding at present.
According to the reports, Shaheem Ahmed is a resident of Zakir Colony in Amravati and is absconding since he has been identified as an accused in the case. “The NIA has declared a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh for any kind of information leading to the arrest of Ahmed (22)”, the NIA official was quoted as saying.
Umesh Kolhe murder case: NIA announces cash reward of Rs 2 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of one of the accused who is absconding. @mihirz gets you the details
The investigation into Umesh Kolhe’s murder began in Police Station City Kotvali in Amaravati, Maharashtra. On July 2 this year, the NIA re-registered the case and took over the investigation. The case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Sections 16, 18, and 20 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 34, 153 (A), 153 (B), 120 (B), and 302.
Earlier in August, the NIA arrested two more accused in the case. The duo was identified as 23-year-old Abdul Arbaz and 41-year-Maulavi Mushfique Ahmad. Both Arbaz and Ahmad are residents of Amaravati. The NIA informed that the duo went to a biriyani party, shortly after killing Umesh Kolhe, and how the incident was a reflection of their conduct.
Accused Shaheem Ahmed who is absconding (Image source- One India)
The other arrested accused in the case include Irfan Khan (age 35), Yusuf Khan (age 44), Muddsir Ahmad (age 22), Shahrukh Pathan (age 25), Abdul Thoufique (age 24) Shoaib Khan (age 22), and Atib Rashid (age 22). Umesh Kolhe, 54, was stabbed to death on June 21 this year for purportedly sending a post supporting the former spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party Nupur Sharma on a social messaging platform.
As per what is known about the case so far, Umesh Kolhe’s friend Yusuf Khan had spotted Kolhe’s WhatsApp message supporting Nupur Sharma and had circulated it in other WhatsApp groups. He had also informed about it to Sheikh Irfan Khan, who runs an NGO. Irfan Khan then plotted the murder and entrusted the responsibility of recce to Maulana Mudassir Ahmed alias Sonu Raza Sheikh Ibrahim. After that, Irfan Khan engaged four daily wage workers Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Taufiq, Shoaib Khan, and Atib Rashid, who had worked for his NGO earlier, for the execution of his plan.
On the night of June 21, Shoaib stabbed Umesh Kolhe in his neck. Initially, the police had said that it was a case of robbery gone awry, but after there was a change in the government in Maharashtra, the police admitted that Kolhe was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma.
On September 12, shoes, slippers and empty water bottles were hurled at Congress leader and Rajasthan sports minister Ashok Chandna, allegedly by Sachin Pilot camp at Asthi Visarjan program of late Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla. Had it not been Kirori Singh Bainsla’s son Vijay Singh Bainsla who stopped the crowd from getting violent, the situation could have been worse, as per reports.
#WATCH | Ajmer, Rajasthan: Shoes & slippers were allegedly thrown by miscreants in crowds as chants of Sachin pilot emerged during a program of Rajasthan Sports minister Ashok Chandna (12.09) pic.twitter.com/j0NWi7mZUT
Both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress leaders were present at the mass meeting organized by the MBC community in memory of the late Gurjar leader. Apart from Ashok Chandna, BJP MP and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP state president Satish Poonia, Congress MLA and industries minister Shakuntala Rawat were present at the meeting. However, Sachin Pilot, who himself comes from the same community, was not present at the program.
The series of events at the mass meeting
Vijay Singh Bainsla was on a Kalash Yatra with the ashes of the late Gurjar leader and travelled across the state so that the community members can pay their last respects to the leader. The Asthi Visarjan program was scheduled for September 12 in Pushkar, Ajmer, for which several leaders irrespective of their political affiliation were invited.
Slippers, empty bottles hurled at leaders Shakuntala Rawat and Ashok Chandna in #Pushkar, #Ajmer at raj-mantri’s funeral: Chants proclaiming Sachin Pilot reverberate in the same crowd.@Amir_Haque and @anchoramitaw with more on the story. pic.twitter.com/sGboGtfUAG
During the mass meeting, the leaders addressed the attendees and paid their respects to the late Kirori Singh Bainsla. However, when Rajasthan minister and Congress leader Ashok Chandna came to the dais, some attendees started raising slogans in favour of Congress leader Sachin Pilot. When asked to stop, they started hurdling shoes, slippers and water bottles toward Chandna. As there was a lot of distance between the stage and the hooligans, none of the shoes etc reached the stage. To ensure Chandna’s safety, he was taken away from the stage along with other Congress leaders Shakuntala Rawat.
Irked by the series of events that took place in Pushkar, Chandna wrote on Twitter, “If Sachin Pilot becomes the chief minister by throwing a shoe at me, then he should be made soon because today I do not feel like fighting. The day I come to fight, then only one will be left and I do not want this.”
आज एक अद्भुत नजारा देखने को मिला 72 शहीदों के मारने के आदेश देने वाले (तत्कालीन मंत्रिमंडल सदस्य) राजेन्द्र राठौड़ साहब के मंच पर आने पर तालिया बजी और जिनके परिवार के लोग आंदोलन में जेल गए उन पर जूते फेंके गए। T-1
In another tweet, he wrote, “Today a wonderful sight was seen- When Rajendra Rathod, (then cabinet member) who ordered the killing of 72 persons came on the stage, was applauded and shoes were thrown at those whose family members went to jail during the ‘Gurjar reservation’ agitation.”
जिस मंच पर जूते फेंके गए उस पर शहीदों के परिवारजन बैठे थे कम से कम उनका तो ख्याल कर लेते।
कर्नल साहब की अंतिम स्मृति को ऐसे कलंकित करने वाले लोग कितना दूर तक जाएंगे यह तो वक्त बताएगा… T-2
“The family members of the martyrs were sitting on the platform on which the shoes were thrown, at least they should have been taken care of,” he added.
Sachin Pilot failed to attend Asthi Visarjan of prominent Gurjar leader
Speaking to OpIndia, Vijay Singh Bainsla said, “It was not a place to settle political scores.” He added on August 12, days before the Yatra started, he had personally contacted every leader to invite them to the Asthi Visarjan Program scheduled for September 12. Bainsla said, “Sachin was the first person I called to invite. However, he did not receive my call. At that time, members of the Gurjar community from his camp were with me. I requested them to call his PA and arrange the call. After a few attempts they managed to reach out to the PA and I finally talked to him and personally invited him to the event. However, it was sad to see that he missed such an important event for the community that he belongs to.”
Pilot had though tweeted about the program. He said, “Tributes to Late Col. Kirori Singh Bainsla ji on his birth anniversary. Today, on the occasion of his ashes immersion, I offer my heartfelt tributes.”
स्व.कर्नल किरोड़ी सिंह बैंसला जी की जयंती पर उन्हें सादर नमन। आज उनकी अस्थि विसर्जन होने पर मैं अपनी भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करता हूँ।
OpIndia’s source in the Gurjar community linked to the Congress party said on the assurance of anonymity that a group of local Gurjar leaders of Sachin Pilot camp went to meet him and invite him for the event but he put a condition that it should not be about MBC community. He said, “Pilot told them to remove ‘MBC community from the posters’ as he does not want to project himself as a leader of a community.”
He further added, “When Asthi Kalash of Late Shri Kirori Singh Bainsla reach Tonk, which is Sachin Pilot’s constituency, it was visible how much love the people of the community had for the late Gurjar leader. Sachin Pilot did not come for the Tonk procession as well. The leaders from other locations had joined irrespective of their political affiliation.”
Notably, Vijay along with his late father had joined BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Gurjars had played a vital role in Congress’s win in the last Assembly elections.
