The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of demonstrations and unrest in Pakistan as inflation reaches a 47-year high of more than 27% in August. The IMF stated in an executive summary of the seventh and eighth evaluations published under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), “High food and fuel prices could prompt social protest and instability.”
Pakistan ?? has taken important steps to soften the blow to its economy from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
According to the report issued under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), risks to the outlook and programme implementation were significant and skewed to the adverse due to the extremely complicated domestic and global scenarios. The study added that the effects of the conflict in Ukraine, including increased food and fuel costs as well as tighter financial conditions worldwide, will continue to put pressure on Pakistan’s economy, the currency rate, and external stability.
In addition to the dangers of protests, socio-political tensions are anticipated to stay strong and might affect how policies and reforms are implemented, the research stated. This is particularly true given the fragile political alliance and their slender majority in Parliament.
In Pakistan, consumer price index (CPI) inflation has reached a 47-year high, increasing to 27.3% in August 2022, the highest level since May 1975. The negative effects of the floods and the resulting interruption in food supply will be seen in the September inflation number, which may be much higher than that of August.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) received the crucial $1.16 billion deposit two days after the IMF Executive Board approved the seventh and eighth reviews of the delayed $6 billion Pakistan programme. After accepting many IMF suggestions for reducing the budget, Pakistan was granted the funds.
The agreement mandated the government to raise the fuel duty to Rs 30 per litre on petrol and Rs 15 per litre on diesel in three stages by September 1. To cut diesel taxes, the government raised the duty on fuel to Rs 37.50 per litre on Wednesday, which is Rs 7.5 per litre higher than required under the IMF agreement.
It has been years since I started noticing Bhagwan being used for political and social statements. Though I am okay with it to a certain extent, some limits must not be crossed. The most absurd examples of such distortions come during Ganesh Chaturthi, and Navratri, where either Bhagwan Ganpati or Maa Durga idols are distorted, or pandals are used for social or political statements.
If you are making an idol around the theme of Earth giving a message to save Mother Nature, it is totally fine until and unless you are not distorting the original idol. However, people love to go overboard for some reason and think they are doing something extraordinary. Above all, the media and so-called open-minded Hindus promote their propaganda (I am calling it propaganda because it is what it is).
Shaping a political leader as Maa Durga or shaping Bhagwan Ganesha in the form of a film character is not only against the very nature of the festival but also highly derogatory towards our Bhagwan. You may not agree with me but stay here for a few minutes, read towards the end and then think if you are right or wrong.
Today, I am going to talk about the trend of making Chocolate Ganesha, submerging it in hot milk towards the end of the festival and distributing chocolate milk among the less privileged. Though it may sound “like such a noble and eco-friendly” idea to many, I would like to explain why you are absolutely wrong and should stop such practices right away. Notably, this practice has been going on for years, and most of the credit for this ill-thought practice goes to Harjinder Singh Kukreja, a chef from Ludhiana.
Punjab: Ludhiana-based restaurateur, Harjinder Singh Kukreja, has prepared a Ganpati idol with chocolate; says, ‘it took us 10 days & 20 chefs to make this 65 kg sculpture. We’ll immerse it in milk & distribute the chocolate milk as ‘prasad’ among poor children’. #GaneshChaturthipic.twitter.com/05H6IcdQpr
Recently, a Food Vlogger, Chahat Anand, published a video on her Instagram account where she was sitting in a restaurant and pouring hot milk on the Ganesha idol. The video got viral, and following the criticism, the video was deleted by the vlogger. However, instead of apologising for what she had done, there were two stories justifying the act that again attracted sharp criticism and led to the deletion of those stories. The very active food vlogger has been silent since then on her social media accounts.
Hey food vlogger @chahatanand what exactly are you doing ? Who has give you the rights to do such nonsense things on the name of creativity. Apologize or be ready to face the consequences ? #Ganeshotsav2022pic.twitter.com/3xrhw1Qx74
While there has been a lot of criticism, there is a section that supports the act. Here are the arguments they have in places and the counters.
‘There were no ill intentions but a genuine desire to save the planet’
Okay. This is a very good argument considering the mess Plaster Of Paris idols create following the visarjan. Majority of the people who oppose the practice of chocolate Ganesha often do not find an answer to this argument. But the thing is, if you are so considerate about the planet, why not promote eco-friendly clay-made Ganesha with eco-friendly colours? There are some people who made Ganesha using Gau Gobar which is also a good option. Both clay and Gau Gobar are eco-friendly and do not harm the environment.
But what is the logic behind making it out of food items and then distributing pieces of it or milkshakes as prasadam? There is no sane explanation for it. None. If you are saying it is eco-friendly, why not clay or Gobar? If you are saying it will go to the poor, why not just make the milkshake and distribute it? Why do you have to make a “statement” on a Hindu festival? The reason is simple. You want PR. You want to be seen as some progressive Hindu who is “socially responsible”. Nope, I am not going to ignore your ignorance. If you have the money to spend on Chocolate Ganesha, it will be better to buy food items, make the chocolate milkshake and distribute it. You will be able to reach out to at least double the number of people by simply making the milkshake.
Notably, Chahat tried to justify her act and deemed the critics as trolls. She later deleted those stories too.
‘The idol was not meant to be worshipped, so it is not Bhagwan’
This is the most illogical argument I have seen on social media. First of all, in the case of the Ludhiana chef Harjinder Singh Kukreja, Chahat Anand and any other who promotes chocolate Ganesha on his or her social media profile categorically suggest that the chocolate idol should be worshipped. So the argument meets its painful fate right here.
Once you have done pran pratishta of an idol, it becomes Bhagwan. Even if you do not know how to do a pran pratishta and start worshipping the idol, it becomes Bhagwan. There are countless stories where Bhagwan blessed their bhakts with small gestures. Once an idol is Bhagwan, you must give respect. You do not go out and eat your Bhagwan.
One more counterargument is that when you buy an idol from a shop, are you okay with stepping on it before it is placed in a Mandir?
‘Bhagwan is our family member. We should be allowed to worship in our way’
Another beautiful argument, but it does not hold any ground. Yes, Bhagwan is our family member. But tell me one thing. Tomorrow I will send you replicas of your parents, children, spouse and other relatives made out of chocolate. Will you be okay with snipping off their head and eating it? Will you be okay with chewing the chocolate replica of your family member while the person is sitting right in front of you? If not, how can you do it to your Bhagwan, whom you worship and treat like an elder? I literally dare you to do the same with any other religion and see how they react.
I feel the shivers to even think if Kukreja had decided to do the same with a Sikh symbol. Instead of choosing Ganesha, he should have done it with the Sikh symbol, and then I would have sat back and witnessed the mayhem with a bucket of popcorn. But he did not. He knows the consequences.
‘People make Bhagwan-shaped Rangoli and decorations’
You do not step on Rangoli. You do not eat the decorations. Ideally, a visarjan of the items used for decorations and Rangoli should happen if you have made Bhagwan out of it. You cannot just wipe off Bhagwan-shaped Rangoli. It is disrespectful and very bad in taste. No one stops you from making Rangoli but make sure to do the visarjan. Do it by the book.
‘We drink water where visarjan happens’
Okay, that is a good argument but tell me something. Do you know what Awahan and Visarjan are? What do they signify? When you do Pran Pratishta of an idol, you call an Ansh or a part of Bhagwan to reside in that idol. After the pooja, you do the Visarjan, which is basically saying goodbye to Bhagwan and sending the Ansh that you had called back to their Dham or Home. The moment idol touches the water and clay gets mixed in the water, the Ansh of Bhagwan leaves the idol that then becomes the part of Dharti or Mother Nature. This is the process. Pouring hot milk on Chocolate Ganesha and then consuming it is NOT Visarjan. It is disrespectful to Bhagwan.
There are some people who say such idols to spread social messages are being made for decades. Here is one example.
In maharashtra, people make Ganesh statue in variety of ways. When India won 2011 world cup, almost every city has one Ganesh Statue with world cup in hand.
Thats how modernity and religion can coexist. Thats how Sanatan Dharma remained alive for 3000 years pic.twitter.com/ijqeHfO83r
I can only tell such people that if something wrong has been happening for decades, that does not mean you have to continue. There is a need to correct the course. By the way, you would not find an ancient idol of Ganesha or any Bhagwan being used to “spread the social message”. It is high time we correct our mistakes. In the end, I can only say with folded hands to stop disrespecting Bhagwan. Find another way to satisfy your urge to get viral on social media.
On 2nd September 2022, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Teesta Setalvad who is accused of falsification of evidence related to the 2002 riots case. The Supreme Court also ordered Setalvad to surrender her passport.
Supreme Court asks Teesta Setalvad to surrender her passport, says she shall be produced before concerned court and she shall be released on interim bail with conditions as the court thinks fit #SupremeCourt#TeestaSetalvad
The court said, “We are not considering whether Setalvad will be released or not, That will be gone into by High Court. We are only considering this from standpoint of custody for her or grant of interim bail.”
Teesta’s case against the Gujarat High Court’s denial of her bail was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia. The court said in the order, “She shall be produced before the concerned court and she shall be released on interim bail with conditions as the court thinks fit. We have not expressed any view on the merits of the Appellants case. The entire matter shall be considered by the High Court, independent of any observations or order made by this Court.”
Supreme Court: We have not expressed ANY view on merits in Appellants case. Entire matter SHALL be considered by High Court, independent of any observations or order made by this Court. #TeestaSetalvad#SupremeCourt
The Supreme Court further said, “Since the appellant happens to be a lady, this shall not be taken as a reflection and should not be used by other accused as and when the situation arises. The issues in those cases are to be taken up independently.”
Supreme Court: Since appellant happens to be a lady, this shall not be taken as a reflection and should not be used by other accused as and when the situation arises. The issues in those cases to be taken up independently. #TeestaSetalvad#SupremeCourt
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the prosecution while advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Teesta Setalvad. On 30th July 2022, a sessions court in Ahmedabad Gujarat rejected the bail application filed by Teesta Setalvad and former IPS officer RB Sreekumar.
Teesta Setalvad, the self-proclaimed ‘activist’ was arrested by the Gujarat ATS in June 2022 in a case of forgery, influencing witnesses, and the investigation of the Gujarat riots in 2002 that occurred in the aftermath of the Godhra Train burning incident, when 59 Hindus were burned to death after a Muslim mob set ablaze a Sabarmati Express bogey carrying passengers from Ayodhya. Teesta Setalvad is accused of coaching witnesses and making ridiculous accusations in several cases related to the Gujarat riots in 2002.
On Friday, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which sought directions from the court to make Sanskrit the national language of India. The Court stated that the correct forum to examine the matter is the parliament and not the court.
“Why should we issue a notice or declare for publicity? We may share some of your views but the right forum to debate this is in parliament. It needs amendment to the Constitution,” the bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari said.
SC: and is a matter of policy which we can’t change.
Order: we refuse to entertain the petition. Dismissed. Ld counsel at liberty to make appropriate representation before concerned authorities.
The petitioner’s lawyer said Sanskrit is a mother language from which other tongues took inspiration, therefore it should be declared national language. Refusing to entertain the plea, the top court said that the petitioner may be at liberty to file such a representation before the government.
“You draft your prayer in Sanskrit. Why should we issue a notice or declare, for publicity? We may share some of your views but the right forum to debate this is in parliament. It needs amendment in Constitution”, the Court said.
“We refuse to entertain the petition. Dismissed. Counsel at liberty to make appropriate representation before concerned authorities”, the Court maintained reiterating that it is a matter of policy that the Court can’t intervene.
The PIL was filed by retired IAS officer and lawyer KG Vanzara who sought direction from the Central government to notify Sanskrit as the national language. “Such a move will not disturb the current Constitutional provisions which provide for English and Hindi as official languages of the country”, the plea read.
On August 26, a Muslim man, who reconverted to Hinduism out of his free will, warned Hindu girls against marrying adherents of the Islamic Faith.
While speaking to Aaj Tak, Mohammad Salim Haider cautioned, “I appeal to all Hindu girls to not get married to Muslim men. If such a marriage happens, the fate of the girl will be the same as that of my wife. For 14 years, she did not give justice.”
“She will neither be a good wife nor a good daughter-in-law in the eyes of her in-laws. They may even try to rape her. If the girl has a daughter, then, her Muslim in-laws may even try to rape the child. Why should I follow a religion where my wife and daughter did not get any respect?”
लखनऊ में एक परिवार को हिंदू धर्म अपनाने पर मुख्तार अंसारी और यूपी सरकार में एक मंत्री के नाम से मिल रही धमकी. पूरे परिवार ने खुद को घर में बंद कर लिया है. यहां तक कि वो अब अपनी बेटी को स्कूल भी नहीं भेज पा रहे हैं.#Lucknow#UttaPradesh#ReporterDiary (@ashishaajtak) pic.twitter.com/QME2skhdD4
Mohammad Salim Haider made the remarks when he was quizzed about love jihad. Haider, who recently embraced Hinduism, is being threatened with death. According to his wife, threats are being issued in the name of gangster Mukhtar Ansari and UP government minister, Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi.
A resident of Lucknow, Haider has now taken up the new name of ‘Rajveer Singh.’ He told Aaj Tak that his wife and daughter are constantly threatened with rape because they decided to abandon Islam and reconvert to Hinduism.
Rajveer’s wife, Samia Siddiqui, who changed her name to Poonam Singh, stated that she was previously a Hindu. She informed that her husband’s family thought that if a Muslim man married a Hindu female or has a sexual relationship, he would receive the glory of Hajj.
“When my husband objected to this, we attempted to return to Hinduism, but we are now facing death threats,” she emphasised. Poonam stated that the family is so terrified that they are reluctant to leave the house. She has now sought help from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The grim reality of Love Jihad
For thousands, if not lakhs of non-Muslim women in India, love Jihad is a grim and disconcerting reality. Also called grooming Jihad, it is a strategy of luring vulnerable non-Muslim girls, by the agency of either deception, lies, intimidation, or feigned love, under the fold of Islam.
Instead of genuine marital bliss, these girls get trapped in a web of deceit and lies and are often coerced, threatened and sometimes tortured to relinquish their faith and convert to Islam.
In some cases, victims are even killed or mortally wounded by the assailants for refusing to convert their religion or threatening to file a police complaint against the culprits. There have been umpteen incidents that conclusively prove beyond any reasonable doubt that Love Jihad is a real menace bedevilling non-Muslim women.
The preponderance of Love Jihad cases has forced state governments to enact a law to curb the menace. Several state governments such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha have already notified a law criminalising Love Jihad.
Others, who are yet to pass a law, are in the process of formulating it to bring a stop to the abhorrent practice. Despite the hard-hitting reality, left-liberals and Islamists tend to negate love jihad as a Hindutva conspiracy theory. You can read about Opindia’s detailed coverage of love jihad cases here.
Harsha was a tailor by profession. He lived in Seegehatti in the Shivamogaa district of Karnataka. He was a member of Bajrang Dal. On Sunday 20th February 2022, Islamists murdered him because he demanded a uniform dress code in the educational institutes.
Harsha was murdered right in the middle of the Karnataka Hijab Row
26-year-old Hindu activist Harsha was brutally murdered in the Shivamogga district in Karnataka. The incident took place near the Kamat petrol pump on Sunday, February 20, at around 9:30 pm. He was rushed to Mc Gann district hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A picture of a wounded Harsha went viral on the internet. Image Source: Twitter
He was a tailor by occupation and hailed from Seegehatti in the Shivamogga district. Harsha was a member of the Hindu organization, Bajrang Dal, and was seen sporting saffron shawls in some demonstrations amidst the Karnataka Hijab Row to demand uniform dress code in educational institutions.
The immediate unrest that followed
Following the murder of Harsha, the situation in Shivamogga became tense. His murder prompted large-scale protests in Shivamogaa. Several vehicles were set on fire in Seegehatti, following which the district administration imposed Section 144 in the area. A large contingent of police was deployed to prevent any law and order situation. All schools and colleges were ordered to remain closed on Monday (February 21) in light of Harsha’s killing. Besides, cinema halls and commercial establishments were asked to close by 9 pm.
Islamists pelted stones at the funeral procession of the deceased Harsha
Thousands of people gathered to accompany the body of the 26-year-youth while it was being taken to his residence amid Police security after the postmortem. Thousands of people joined the final journey of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha.
Karnataka | Body of the 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha, who was allegedly murdered yesterday in Shivamogga, being taken to his residence amid Police security after postmortem.
The hatred towards the deceased youth working for the Hindu cause was manifested in the stone-pelting by the Islamists at his funeral processions. The funeral procession of deceased 26-year-old Hindu activist Harsha was attacked by miscreants when it was en route to the Rotary cemetery at Wdyanagar from the District McGann Hospital in Shivamogga.
Miscreants pelted stones at a funeral procession of Harsha, a Bajrang Dal worker, who was allegedly stabbed to death, was being carried under tight police security in Karnataka’s Shivamogga. pic.twitter.com/hFqnLlnywB
Three people were injured after unidentified assailants pelted stones at the funeral procession. A cop, a photojournalist, and two other persons including a woman sustained injuries during the attack. The visuals of the attack were shared on social media by News9 reporter Priyanka Rudrappa. In the video, people accompanying the procession were seen running to take cover as stones were hurled at the congregation.
It must be mentioned that the stone-pelting took place amidst heavy police security. The police told that 20 vehicles were damaged and some of them were set on fire. The situation was brought under control and the procession could continue smoothly thereafter.
Reactions by the Hindu leaders in the state
A day after the brutal murder of Harsha, Karnataka BJP Minister KS Eshwarappa did not mince any words while speaking about the victim’s killing. While speaking to the media on Monday, 21st February 2022, he remarked, “I’m very disturbed by the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist. He was killed by ‘Musalmaan goondas’ (Muslim goons)…We’ll not allow goondaism.”
Karnataka BJP MP Pratap Simha lashed out at his own party for not banning radical Islamist outfits such as the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD). He expressed regret over government inaction, despite the repeated killing of party Karyakartas. On 22nd February 2022, the BJP MP from the Mysore-Kodagu constituency said, “I am extremely upset about the brutal killing of Bajrang Dal Karyakarta Harsha. I am ashamed that these attacks are continuing despite the BJP government in power.” He pointed out how several other workers including Prasshanth Poojari, Deepak Rao, Santosh, Sharath Madiwala, Raju, Praveen Poojari, and Paresh Mesta were hacked to death in a similar way.
“.. after Harsha’s murder, you again say you will take stringent action against those murderer’s, will our Karyakarta’s believe us?”
“The encounter which happened in Hyderabad after the rape case should be repeated here, only then they will understand. Nothing else will work.” pic.twitter.com/VS4L0DLdtk
“The encounter which happened in Hyderabad after the infamous rape case must be repeated here, else they will not understand. Nothing else will work,” he urged the government to crush the anti-social elements with an iron hand.
Reactions by Hindus on social media
People on social media, too, had expressed their anger at the heinous murder of the Bajrang Dal activist. Hashtag #JusticeForHarsha trended on social media platforms as support for the murdered Harsha poured in. From actress Kangana Ranaut and Raveena Tondon to BJP leaders and prominent members of the society expressed their anger over the cold-blooded murder.
The apologists of Islamic terror dehumanized the deceased youth Harsha
After the brutal killing of Harsha and shameless stone-pelting on his funeral procession, global Islamists continued to showcase their inner self openly on social media. CJ Werleman – a so-called journalist and also an apologist of Islamic terror – without any shred of evidence, had tweeted, “A terrorist belonging to the Hindu extremist group #BajrangDal, which carried out a wave of terrorist attacks against Muslims in Tripura in November, was killed in Karnataka – last night.” The Director General of Police (DGP) Karnataka refuted the allegations. “This is absolutely false. There is no connection of death to either terrorism or Tripura,” he tweeted.
Screenshot of the tweet
Islamists celebrated Harsha’s murder
Following the death of Harsha, Islamists and so-called liberals took to social media to express their happiness. One Twitter user (@OpinionatedBong) labelled the deceased activist as a terrorist. He wrote, “Hey ANI, let me fix the tweet for you. Here it goes – Karnataka| A 26-year-old Bajrang Dal terrorist Harsha was eliminated yesterday at around 9 pm in Shivamogga to protect Humanity from Hindu fascism.”
Screenshot of the tweet
Islamists spared no time in sending laughing emojis and congratulatory messages, on learning about the death of the Bajrang Dal activist.
Harsha’s murder was not a reflex action of his opposition to Muslim girl students insisting to wear a Hijab or Burkha when on educational campuses. In fact, he was receiving death threats since 2015 because he used to work for the Hindu cause, as per reports. A day after the brutal murder of Harsha, it came to light that he received ‘fatwas’ and threats from radical Islamists in 2015 over accusations of blasphemy. This information was firstshared on Twitter by student activist Rashmi Samant.
In a post shared on December 31, 2015, by an Islamist page ‘Mangalore Muslims’ on Facebook, it threatened Harsha with physical harm for his remarks on Prophet Muhammad. The post read, “Harsha, a member of Hindutva terrorist group, has put out objectionable posts targeting Prophet Mohammad and Allah and has shared morphed images of holy Kaaba on social media platforms.”
Screenshot of the Facebook post by the ‘Mangalore Muslims’ page
“Leave a text in Inbox for more information about him, share this image and information,” the page appealed to Islamists. On the same day, another Facebook page by the name of ‘Karavvali Muslims’ shared the same message.
Screenshot of the Facebook post by Karavali Muslims’ page
A similar message was shared by a Facebook page named ‘Shimoga’s Muslims’ on January 3, 2016.
Screenshot of the Facebook post by Shivmogga’s Islamist groups
Investigations and initial arrests
A day after the brutal murder of Harsha the police arrested 3 people on Monday (February 21) in connection to the case. It came to light that a total of 5 people were involved in the gruesome attack.
We have arrested 3 people. As per my information, 5 people are involved in this murder: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Bajrang Dal activist Harsha murder case pic.twitter.com/lBmGsYvlEL
One of the accused was identified as Qasif. During his interrogation at the Doddapete Police Station, Qasif confessed that he along with 4 others came in a car and attacked Harsha when he was drinking tea at a canteen on Sunday night. After attacking him with sharp weapons, the accused fled the crime scene. The other two accused were taken out of Shivamogaa for further investigation.
The other three accused in this case were nabbed from Bangalore on 22nd February taking the total number of arrests in connection with this murder to six. Investigations revealed that Syed Nadeem and Qasif arrested on 21st February were the key conspirators. The arrested accused were identified as Qasif (Kasif), Syed Nadeem, Mujahid, Rihan alias Qasi, Afan, and Asif. Accused Qasif allegedly had ten criminal cases registered against him. In fact, all 6 arrested accused had criminal records.
Total 6 arrested, 12 being questioned in connection with Bajrang Dal worker Harsha murder case: SP Laxmi Prasad, Shivamogga, Karnataka pic.twitter.com/hKJkIRlMIc
Shivamogga SP Laxmi Prasad informed on Tuesday, February 22 that the Karnataka police had also detained 12 others for questioning in the murder case. Each accused was interrogated separately to know the motive behind the killing of Harsha.
The case against the Facebook page that dog-whistled Islamists to kill Harsha
On 22nd February 2022, the Mangaluru police registered an FIR against admins of a Facebook page called “Mangalore Muslims” for inciting hatred and violence by posting derogatory content about deceased Harsha. A suo moto case was registered in the cyber, economic, and narcotics offenses police station based on a complaint by head constable Raja M of the social media division.
Mangalore Muslims page was accused of repeatedly posting provocative posts against Hindutva outfits and Hindu political leaders to spread hatred between Hindus and Muslims and provoke them to indulge in violence. One Mohammed Shafiq was named in the FIR, who is believed to be the admin of the page. He had shared provocative posts with other social media groups.
The Facebook page had posted content defending Harsha’s murder on Sunday, 20th February 2022, and referred to him as “street dog.” The page claimed that Harsha was murdered for allegedly abusing Prophet Mohammed in the year 2015. It also added that “whoever insults the Prophet will meet the same fate.”
More arrests in the Harsha murder case
On 23rd February 2022, two more accused were arrested in this case. The Karnataka police apprehended two other accused in the next two days taking the total number of arrests to 10. The Karnataka police pressed charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 against the persons arrested in connection with the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha.
UAPA is invoked in cases involving threats to national security and national integrity. Since the Karnataka police were “suspecting a larger conspiracy behind the murder” of Harsha they decided to invoke UAPA against the accused namely, Mahammad Qasif (Kasif), Syed Nadeem, Rihan Sharief, Asif Ullah Khan, Abdul Afnan, Nihan, Faraz Pasha, Abdul Khadar Jilan, Abdul Roshan and Jafar Sadiq. Under the UAPA, police gain custody of a suspect for 30 days and have 180 days instead of 90 days to file a charge sheet. The law’s stipulations also make it difficult for an accused person to obtain bail.
After the investigation team completed its probe it handed over the accused to judicial custody. The police took the ten accused into their custody and interrogated them for 11 days until Monday, March 7.
NIA took over the Harsha murder case
The Karnataka government turned over the investigation into the Bajrang Dal activist Harsha murder case in the state’s Shivamogga city to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). the NIA filed a formal complaint in this case in a New Delhi court on Wednesday 23rd March 2022, after being assigned the probe.
The investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have revealed that the murder was perpetrated to orchestrate communal unrest against the backdrop of the hijab issue. The murder was also carried out in order to instil terror and disturb society’s peace and tranquility. The investigations by the local police had earlier revealed a communal motive for the crime.
Before the state goes into elections
Harsha was murdered for to orchestrate communal unrest among the communities just ahead of the elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh. However, it turned out to be a failure after the Karnataka high court’s verdict in this case.
Harsha was murdered exactly 15 months before the Karnataka assembly completes its term. Subsequently, Praveen Nettaru was murdered just a day before it marked the completion of a year when Basavaraj Bommai’s cabinet took over the reins of the state from veteran BJP leader Yediyurappa. With the Karnataka assembly to complete its term in May 2023, occasional riots, and communal tensions are going to be a challenge for law and order in the state.
70-year-old Kamala Pujari, who received the prestigious Padma Shri in 2019 for promoting organic farming and preserving over 100 varieties of indigenous seeds, was reportedly made to dance inside the ICU of a hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, she was admitted to treat a kidney ailment. The purported video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
In the video, one Mamata Behera, who identifies herself as a social worker, was also seen dancing with Pujari before she was discharged from the hospital on Monday.
The unwell 70-year-old Padma Shri awardee has alleged that the female activist forced her to dance against her will.
“I do not know the social activist personally. I was forced to dance by her while coming out of the hospital after treatment. Despite saying no, she forced me to dance with her and recorded the video,” Pujari said.
“I repeatedly denied it, but she (Behera) did not listen. I was sick and got tired. This has further deteriorated my health,” Pujari told the media in the Koraput district from where she hails.
The incident came to light after the video of the same went viral.
The video and thereafter Pujari’s statement has now left Odisha’s Paraja tribal community, to which the Padma Shri awardee belongs, enraged. The people of the community have sought action against the social worker for making Pujari dance in the intensive care unit, or ICU, of the government hospital.
Speaking about the incident, the tribal community association chief Harish Muduli said they will protest on the streets if the state government did not act against the social worker.
According to reports, Pujari was admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack with kidney issues. The event occurred prior to her hospital discharge on Monday. According to medical officials, Pujari was admitted to a special cabin rather than the ICU. “The woman who reportedly made Pujari dance used to visit her at the private cabin,” explained Dr Abinash Rout, the hospital’s registrar (administration). Rajeeb Hial, Pujari’s attendant, said she didn’t know Behera, who had also taken multiple photographs with the Padma Sri awardee.
Meanwhile, the social worker justified her actions by claiming that she was merely trying to “shun Pujari’s laziness”.
The Khekra police in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday (September 2) arrested one Mohammad Rahees, following a complaint by a Hindu family on August 31, accusing him of threatening them with death. The family, in their complaint, said that the accused issued ‘sar tan se juda‘ threats and also threatened to make their daughter’s objectionable images viral on social media if they ‘do not send her to him’.
#baghpatpolice थाना खेकड़ा पुलिस ने थाने के मु0अ0सं0 368/22 धारा 506 भादवि व 67ए आईटी एक्ट से सम्बन्धित नामजद अभियुक्त रहीस पुत्र अजीज को हिरासत में लिया। pic.twitter.com/lugknuGdS9
Prior to this, in the month of May, the family had submitted another complaint against the same person, accusing him of kidnapping their daughter.
Based on the first complaint, the police had booked Md Rahees under IPC section 366 (kidnapping a woman and compelling her for marriage or to cause her defilement). Later the police registered another FIR against the accused under IPC sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (Publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form).
According to the second complaint filed with the Khekra PS, the girl’s father alleged that Md Rahees had been pressuring them to ‘send their daughter to him’ or face dire repercussions. The father further said that the accused had threatened to behead his entire family if they did not agree to his demands.
The accused, as per the girl’s father, had put up an objectionable picture of his daughter as his Whatsapp status on August 23, 2022 and further threatened to leak her obscene pictures on social media when the family did not concede to his demand.
The girl’s father confirmed that Md Rahees was a resident of Ghaziabad. He recalled how on July 18, the accused accosted him and his wife when they were on their way to Delhi on their bike. He added that Rahees threatened his wife by saying, “Send your daughter to me, or I will chop off your head and your husband’s body.” His family has been terrified since then, said the father.
The girl’s father said that seeing the commotion, when the passers-by started gathering near his bike, Md Rahees fled. However, he has been relentlessly pressuring his family to send the girl ever since.
According to a report by Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, the victim’s father stated that his daughter used to teach in a school. Meanwhile, that boy used to put up a stall in the Friday weekly market held near the school. On May 30, his daughter suddenly went missing. She left without informing her parents. The distraught parents approached various Hindu organisations for help. They filed a complaint regarding the same at the Khekra PS.
Following the outcry from Hindu organisations, the police recovered their daughter after a month and returned her to the family.
The police confirmed that in her statement before the magistrate, the girl stated that she had that she was in a love affair with the youth and had left with him on her own free will.
However, ever since she was recovered and send back home by the police, Md Rahees had been hounding and harassing the Hindu family. He has been issuing ‘sar tan se jida’ threats and warned of serious repurcussions if they do not send back the girl back to him.
On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab came under the spotlight once again after a video went viral showing party MLA Baljinder Kaur being slapped by her husband after an argument. The video captured on CCTV camera outside her house in Talwandi Sabo, has been doing rounds on social media platforms since Thursday.
According to reports, the incident is said to have happened on July 10 but no official complaint has been filed in the case. The cops indicated they have no idea who released the footage or what triggered this episode.
In the video that has gone viral over social media, Baljinder Kaur, a two-time AAP MLA from Talwandi Sabo, can be seen approaching her husband, Sukhraj Singh amid an argument. In a flash of wrath, her husband gets up from his seat and slaps her on the face. The other individuals standing nearby meanwhile can be seen interfering and trying to push Singh away.
Empowering women is not a deterrent to stop violence against women.Shocking to see @BaljinderKaur_ MLA getting slapped in broad day light.Mindset of men has to change. The problem lies in the perpetrator’s of these acts.Change this male chauvinism attitude more then anything else pic.twitter.com/Qxm6rhrtht
The incident attracted many eyeballs including those of Manisha Gulati who is the Chairperson of the Punjab State Women Commission. She stated that the commission will take suo motu cognizance of the episode. “It is upsetting that a woman who raises public issues faces harassment at home”, she was quoted.
Meanwhile, Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Akali Dal also called for action against the MLA’s husband. “Totally condemn the despicable violence by the husband of T.Sabo MLA Baljinder Kaur. We must call out such weaklings who feel superior using violence on women. Baljinder’s husband must issue a public apology and mend his ways or strict action as per law should be taken against him”, she tweeted.
Totally condemn the despicable violence by husband of T.Sabo MLA Baljinder Kaur. We must call out such weaklings who feel superior using violence on women. Baljinder’s husband must issue a public apology & mend his ways or strict action as per law should be taken against him.
Reports mention that the couple got married in February this year. Singh was reportedly the AAP’s youth wing convener for Majha region. Baljinder Kaur completed her M Phil in 2009 from Punjab University, Patiala. Kaur worked as an English lecturer at Mata Gujri College in Fatehgarh Sahib before entering politics.
CPI(ML) Liberation’s Kavita Krishnan continued to attack the Modi government after being relieved from the posts and responsibilities in the party over differences in opinion and speaking about the harsh reality of brutal socialist regimes. She had tweeted on the Ukraine-Russia conflict recently, stating that socialist regimes were autocratic regimes far worse than parliamentary democracies.
However, Krishnan’s comments did not seem to have gone down well with the leadership of CPI (ML), a party that arguably owes its existence to socialist regimes in the world and allegedly draws inspiration from tyrannical communist parties such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). She was removed from leadership positions and responsibilities for speaking uncomfortable truths—a phenomenon uncharacteristic and incredibly rare for a CPI (ML) member.
And soon after her removal, Kavita Krishnan continued to rant against the Modi government, trying to cover up the embarrassment she suffered for being booted out of the leadership of the party she had dutifully served for over two decades.
Kavita Krishnan manipulates Mohandas Pai’s comment to cover up the ignominy of her ouster from CPIML leadership
Manipulating a statement made by Mohandas Pai, Kavita Krishnan tried to salvage herself saying that she had requested to be relieved of posts and responsibilities in CPIML. Krishnan offered intricately long and convoluted reasons to justify why she had requested the party leadership to discharge her from her party obligation, possibly a ruse to cover up the ignominy of her removal and mount an attack against the Modi government.
“Oh @TVMohandasPai for the first time you honestly agreed with my “honest statement” that the Modi regime is fascist & growing into a totalitarian one? (See 1 & 3 in the statement below). That’s a huge tho belated realisation, congratulations,” Krishnan replied to a tweet by Mohandas Pai who said the CPIML member may have spoken the truth for the first time when she criticised social regimes for raining atrocities against their subjects.
Source: Twitter
Tweeting how CPIML treated Krishnan for speaking out truth, Pai tweeted, “Kavita Krishnan ‘relieved’ from CPI(ML) leadership – The Hindu. For the first time possibly @kavita_krishnan made an honest statement and was kicked out of her extremist leftist party! The truth always prevails! Dharma will always win!”
But Krishnan distorted the statement and used it to label the Modi government as fascist—an exercise that the leftists have routinely resorted to in their desperate bid to discredit the Modi government—and raising a bugbear of “the country’s irreversible slide to autocracy” among the minds of people.
Speaking to The Hindu, Kavita Krishnan said that she had requested the party to relieve her of her posts since she felt an urgent need to defend parliamentary democracies, not just in India but across the world. While she would remain a primary member of the party, she said that there was a need to recognise that socialist regimes, past and present, have been authoritarian, far worse than Capitalist parliamentary democracies.
Kavita Krishnan said that she needed to explore these political questions and it was not possible to do so while holding posts and responsibilities with the Communist party. “The party Central Committee has agreed to my request,” she said. “It was not possible to write on these questions remaining in the leadership. It is not a resignation, it is a mutually agreed to step aside from the responsibilities. There is no quarrelling with the party,” she said.
“The conviction that for our fight for democracy against fascism and growing totalitarianism in India to be consistent, we must acknowledge the entitlement to the same democratic rights and civil liberties for all people across the world, including subjects of socialist totalitarian regimes past and present,” she added.
Interestingly, while Kavita Krishnan wanted to remain a primary member of the party, the Communist party, that has been talking about dissent and freedom of expression, decided to remove her from primary membership.
Kavita Krishnan’s problematic antecedents
While Kavita Krishnan had her political career in the soup for iterating basic facts about socialist regimes, her other utterances that had been far more problematic and wicked were glossed over by the party that long claims to be the voice of the people.
In the past, Kavita Krishnan has compared Hindutva to the Taliban and the Ku Klux Klan and denied the existence of “Love Jihad” (Grooming Jihad) which has claimed the lives of several Hindu women. Over the last few years, Kavita Krishnan has been caught several times for peddling fake news, however, she continues to do so with impunity.
Besides expressing solidarity with anti-national elements, Kavita Krishnan has a history of backing radical Islamists, fake news peddlers, and pro-Pakistan propagandists. Last year, she was exposed for standing in support of a notorious fake news peddler Mohammad Asif Khan, who has a history of propagating communally sensitive fake news.
