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‘Hindus killed for being Hindus’ series: Story of BJYM member Praveen Nettaru, killed by Islamists after police denied him protection

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hindus killed for being Hindus’ series: Story of BJYM member Praveen Nettaru, killed by Islamists after police denied him protection

On July 26, Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by Islamist assailants. Nettaru, who ran a poultry business, was returning home when the attack happened. The killers came on a bike in Bellari, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, in the late evening and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. The assailants escaped after the attack. Nettaru was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved.

Praveen Nettaru’s murder and initial speculations about the reason behind the crime

Praveen Nettaru was an active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing popularly known as Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He was an executive committee member of the Dakshin Kannada district unit of the organization. He owned a poultry business in Bellari. On 26th July 2022, when he was returning home after closing his shop, he was attacked by sharp weapons and hacked to death by the attackers.

According to the eyewitnesses of the incident, the assailants came on a motorcycle. The motorcycle had a Kerala registration number. The location where the incident happened is close to the Kerala border. The assailants fled immediately after Praveen Nettaru fell down. Praveen Nettaru was taken to hospital but he could not survive.

As the Karnataka police registered an FIR in this case and launched an investigation, different theories began to appear along with the initial speculations and subsequent arrests. Primary reports suggested that two recent incidents, including the murder of a Muslim man and a matter related to a mosque, could have led to the murder of Praveen Nettaru. But before details of all those theories appeared first in the investigation and then in public, the Karnataka government and the state unit of the BJP witnessed a massive outrage staged by the party workers and Hindus across the state.

Investigations and Arrests

On July 28, the Karnataka Police arrested two persons on suspicion of involvement in the BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Kumar Nettaru’s murder case. The accused were identified as Zakir and Mohammed Shafiq. The duo was arrested from Kasargod, Kerala. Zakir is 29 years old and is a resident of Savanoor whereas Mohammed Shafiq who is 27 years old belongs to Bellari. These two were the conspirators of the murders and not the actual assailants.

Hours after the arrest of the two accused, reports emerged that Shafiq and Zakir are linked to the Islamist terrorist organization PFI and SDPI. The wife of Shafiq has confirmed that her husband was an active member of the PFI and that he used to participate in all the ‘social’ activities. She also said that on the day of the incident, he was not at home hinting that he might be involved in executing the murder of the BJP youth member. “My husband was a PFI member. He was aware that the murder took place,” Shafiq’s wife told India Today.

Shafiq was also associated with SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) and had organized various ‘social’ events. The wife after the arrest while talking to the media also said that initially, her husband was not aware of the murder. Later he had tears in his eyes when he came to know about who was murdered in the village. 

Shafiq’s father worked in Praveen Nettaru’s shop

Another important fact in the matter is that father of the accused Shafiq and his father Ibrahim worked as a butcher at the chicken shop of Praveen Nettaru. This was revealed by Shafiq’s father Ibrahim himself while talking to the media. Ibrahim told India Today,  “I work at Praveen’s shop. My son and Praveen used to talk there.” Ibrahim denied his son’s involvement in the crime and alleged that they are targeted because they are Muslim. The brutal killing of Praveen Nettaru happens to be the latest case where the perpetrator and his family were known to the victim.

Kanhaiya Lal – a tailor from Udaipur – and Umesh Kolhe – a chemist from Amravati – were killed by Islamists for sharing social media posts supporting former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. In both these cases, the informers or conspirators were known to the victims. The photograph and location of Kanhaiya Lal were leaked and made viral by his neighbor Nazim. Nazim and his co-religionists also conducted a recce of his shop.

The tragedy that befell upon the family of Umesh Kolhe was also facilitated by his close friend of 16 years named Yusuf Khan. Like Kanhaiya Lal, Kolhe was hacked to death for supporting Nupur Sharma. While prioritizing his Faith over friendship, Yusuf provoked Islamists to kill his friend. According to police, Yusuf Khan had forwarded Umesh Kolhe’s message supporting Nupur Sharma in WhatsApp groups, instigating Islamists against him by saying that he was supporting someone accused of blasphemy.

Theories hatched about the reasons for the murder

Till now three different theories citing various reasons for the murder came to light. One is that he was killed because he posted on social media supporting Kanhaiya Lal, who was beheaded by Jihadis recently for supporting Nupur Sharma and criticizing the Congress government. The second theory was that he may have been murdered as retaliation for the death of a Muslim man, who had been beaten up by Hindus after he had beaten up a Hindu youth. The third theory said that the chicken shop that Praveen Nettaru had opened, where accused Shafiq and his father worked, had overtaken the meat shops run by Muslims in the area and had become an object of hatred for the Islamists there.

Apathy by the police department

According to the second theory, many local Hindu leaders were allegedly on the hitlist of Islamists in that area. This was to avenge the death of a Muslim named Masood who is said to be an alleged victim of the so-called cow vigilantism. According to reports, Praveen Nettaru informed the local police about the threats and asked for protection. But, the police denied providing him any protection saying that he is not that big a leader to get such threats.

More arrests linked to PFI and SDPI in the Praveen Nettaru murder case

On Thursday 11th August 2022, three main accused in the Praveen Nettaru murder case were arrested. Mangaluru police nabbed the suspects near Talapady check post at 8 am on August 11. The arrested accused were identified as Shiyabuddin Ali and Bashir from Sullia and Riyaz from Subramanya. He also suspected that the arrested accused can be linked with the Islamic organization Popular Front of India and its political wing the Social Democratic Party of India. On 18th august 2022, National Investigation Agency took custody of the five key accused in this case for further investigation.

The outrage after the murder of Praveen Nettaru

There was a massive protest in southern parts of Karnataka after Praveen Nettaru’s murder. Protests broke out in Bellari and Sullia, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a bandh. Hundreds of people escorted Praveen Nettaru’s dead body as it was taken to his home on July 27 in the morning.

After this murder, outraged BJP Yuva Morcha members started to furnish mass resignations. Members of the youth wing of the party were distressed after this incident and expressing their concern they took to social media to put up posts threatening mass resignation.

Karnataka BJP MLA Renukacharyra also said that Hindus are not safe despite there being a BJP regime and he also threatened of tendering his resignation from the MLA post if the Hindus in the state are not protected.

Hindu activists and BJP workers surrounded BJP state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel’s car and heckled him as they protested Praveen Nettaru’s murder, demanding answers from senior party leaders.

Karnataka BJP had planned an official event at Soudha, and ‘Janotsava’, a mega rally at Doddaballapur, on July 28 to mark Bommai’s one year in the office. National President of BJP JP Nadda was scheduled to attend the event. In view of the murder and the subsequent massive protests, the party canceled the program.

Stand of the state government

On Thursday, 28th July 2022, Karnataka’s chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he will not hesitate to implement the UP model of dealing with the anti-national and fundamentalist miscreants in Karnataka. 

CM Basavaraj Bommai said, “Whatever possible we will do that. If need be, if the situation says ‘UP model’ or much stricter than that we will not hesitate for that also.” The term UP model means the strong measures taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to control anti-national activities in Uttar Pradesh, including the use of bulldozers against miscreants and mafia. 

On the intervening night of July 27 and July 28, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the state government would form a commando force with special training, intelligence, ammunition, and resources to go after anti-national and terror groups conspiring to disrupt the peace and stir communal tension in the state.

Hinduphobia following Islamism in Karnataka in 2022

Though northern parts of the country have been historically known for repeatedly waged invasions by barbaric Islamist tyrants, Deccan too had its own issues regarding medieval Islamic rules and demographic alterations in certain pockets which later went on to expand in larger territories. Secularized glorification of Tipu Sultan and liberal attempts to justify Nizam or Muslims who ‘willfully stayed back in India‘ after dissolving Hyderabad are therefore unavoidable parts of the Hindu-Muslim discourse in the southern parts of India. Forming the current situation in Karnataka in 2022, before the murders of Hindus thus has shades of historic facts lying at the core of its causality added to the rise of the Indian Mujahideen led by the Bhatkal brothers in the 21st century.

Karnataka witnessed a yet worse shade of Islamism at the very beginning of the year 2022. The issues mainly responsible for triggering the Islamic unrest in the state were Azaan and Hijab. Muslim girl students in various educational institutes in Karnataka took an adamant stand over wearing headscarves as per Islamic traditional costume despite prescribed uniform dress codes in those institutes. This went on to become a big issue in the early months of 2022. Azaan from the loudspeakers in the mosques five times a day – especially in the early morning – causing disturbance to nearby residents was the other one. Besides, incidents of protests or violence under the guise of protest over Nupur Sharma’s alleged blasphemous remarks against the Prophet Muhammad also added to the prevalent sensitive situations in the state months ahead of the murders of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha and BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru.

India’s GDP grows by 13.5% in the first quarter of the financial year 2022-23, fiscal deficit under control

OpIndia Staff
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India’s GDP grows by 13.5% in the first quarter of the financial year 2022-23, fiscal deficit under control

Continuing with the trend of recovery of the economy following the devasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian economy grew by 13.5% during the first quarter of the current financial year. It was revealed in the estimates of Gross Domestic Product for the April – June quarter of the FY 2022-23 published by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

The ministry said that the real GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q1 2022-23 is estimated to attain a level of ₹ 36.85 lakh crore, as against ₹ 32.46 lakh crore in Q1 2021-22, showing a growth of 13.5 percent as compared to 20.1 percent in Q1 2021-22. On the other hand, nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in Q1 2022-23 is estimated at ₹ 64.95 lakh crore, as against ₹ 51.27 lakh crore in Q1 2021-22, showing a growth of 26.7 percent as compared to 32.4 percent in Q1 2021-22.

The Quarterly Estimates of National Accounts are indicator based and data sourced from various Ministries/ Departments/ Private Agencies were used as valuable inputs in the compilation of the estimates. The sector-wise estimates have been compiled using various indicators like Index of Industrial Production (IIP), financial performance of listed companies in the Private Corporate Sector based on available quarterly financial results for these companies, Crop Production Targets for 2022-23, Production Targets for Major Livestock Products for 2022-23, Fish Production, Production/ Consumption of Cement and Steel, Net Tonne Kilometres and Passenger Kilometres for Railways, Passenger and Cargo traffic handled by Civil Aviation, Cargo traffic handled at Major Sea Ports, Sales of Commercial Vehicles, Bank Deposits & Credits, Accounts of Central & State Governments, etc., available for Q1 2022-23.

According to the ministry, GDP is derived as the sum of the gross value added (GVA) at basic prices, plus all taxes on products, less all subsidies on products. The total tax revenue used for GDP compilation includes both Non-GST Revenue and GST Revenue.

Among various sectors, Public Administration, Defence and Other services sector showed the highest growth rate of 26.3% at constant prices, with Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communications and Broadcasting coming second at 25.7%. Agriculture grew by 4.5% in the quarter and manufacturing grew by 4.8%.

However, these are estimates and the data will undergo changes in revised estimates to be published later, as individual source agencies will revise their numbers as per data release calendar.

During the same period, the fiscal deficit of the government stood at 20.5% of the full-year target, which was 21.3% in the first quarter of the last FY, showing an improvement. During April-July 2022, the fiscal deficit of the country, or the difference between revenue and expenditure, was ₹3.41 lakh crore.

The government’s receipts, including taxes, stood at ₹7.85 lakh crore or 34.4% of the Budget Estimates (BE) for 2022-23. According to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Net tax receipts was ₹6.66 lakh crore while total expenditure was ₹11.27 lakh crore during this period.

The union govt is targeting a fiscal deficit of 6.4% of the GDP for financial year. July was particularly good in this regard, as the govt posted a surplus of Rs 11,040 crore for the month.

‘Figment of their imagination’: Delhi Lt General VK Saxena to take legal action against AAP leaders for defamatory allegations of corruption

OpIndia Staff
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‘Figment of their imagination’: Delhi Lt General VK Saxena to take legal action against AAP leaders for defamatory allegations of corruption

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena will take legal action against four Aam Aadmi Party leaders for defamatory allegations against him. On August 31, LG House Officials said in a statement that the Lt Governor would take legal action against a number of Aam Aadmi Party leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Jasmine Shah, among others, for highly defamatory and false allegations of corruption.

Notably, AAP leaders have launched a series of attacks against the LG, claiming he indulged in money laundering and more. On August 29, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak claimed that during his tenure at Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as chairman, VK Saxena had forced his employees to exchange old currency notes with new ones. AAP leaders alleged that the currency exchanged by LG tuned to 1,400 crores.  “A cashier working there has given in writing that he was forced to carry out exchange of notes. It is unfortunate that he was suspended. Those who levelled all dismissed. But we want a probe in this. There is a news report also and there are statements by the affected employees,” Pathak said.

Pathak said that two Khadi cashiers have claimed under oath that the Delhi L-G made them exchange old demonetised currency notes. Durgesh Pathak also accused VK Saxena of misusing his power by investigating the allegations himself and suspending the cashiers who exposed him. “Clear cut case of money laundering, there should be an ED investigation into the matter,” he had demanded.

LG Saxena has denied all the allegations, calling them a “figment of their imagination”. The LG’s office said in a statement, “This has been the hallmark of Kejriwal and co. to shoot and scoot and then when pushed for truth, apologise.” The statement issued by the LG House Officials further said, “The LG has taken a serious view of these blatantly false, defamatory and obviously diversionary allegations made by these AAP leaders and has decided to take legal action against them so that the AAP does not get away with its characteristic shoot and scoot.”

The LG informed that a vigilance inquiry was ordered when it was alleged that some demonetised notes were deposited in the account of Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan, and four officials were suspended in the matter. The case is currently being probed by CBI, and the CBI has found that Rs 17,07,000 in demonetised notes were deposited by two officials, not Rs 1,400 crore as claimed by AAP leaders.

“The matter being falsely touted by the AAP is with regards to just ₹ 17.07 lakh as against the claims of ₹ 1,400 crore, which is nothing but a figment of imagination for which the habitual liars will face the consequences,” the statement by LG’s office added.

On Monday, AAP MLAs raised slogans against the LG in the Delhi assembly and protested into the well of the House, demanding the immediate removal of Saxena from the post of Delhi Lt Governor. The AAP leaders had also sought a CBI-ED investigation against him.

The allegations came at a time when several AAP leaders are facing corruption charges. AAP leader Satyendra Jain is currently lodged in custody, while Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia is facing accusations of corruption in liquor policy. The opposition party BJP has called out the Delhi government over unfulfilled promises, including 500 schools, better infrastructure and more.

Apart from the allegations of corruption against AAP leaders, LG has recently schooled Delhi CM and instructed him to sign the files before sending them for approval to him, which irked the AAP leaders against LG.

Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram question Congress party’s upcoming election for president, seek a fair, transparent process

OpIndia Staff
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Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram question Congress party’s upcoming election for president, seek a fair, transparent process

Ahead of the Congress Presidential Elections that are scheduled to take place on October 17, party leader Manish Tewari has questioned the fairness of the elections and has suggested that there might be lapses in the party’s electoral process. Tewari on Wednesday stated that the party had not made public the electoral roll and was just claiming that there would be free and fair elections to elect the party president.

According to the reports, Tewari also alleged that there was no transparency in the electoral process and that the party was hiding the names and addresses of electors. “Essence of a fair and free process is names and addresses of electors must be published on INC party’s website in a transparent manner. How can there be a fair & free election without a publicly available electoral roll?”, he tweeted.

Tewari’s tweet was directed to the party’s central election authority chief Madhusudan Mistry who earlier had said that ‘there should not be any doubt in anyone’s mind about the fairness of the electoral process. Mistry had also stated that those who wish to see the electoral rolls can contact the Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC).

Responding to this Tewari on Wednesday said, “Why should someone have to go to every PCC office in the country to find out who the electors are? This does not happen in a club election also with great respect. How can someone consider running if he/she does not know who electors are If someone has to file his/her nomination and gets it proposed by 10 Congresspersons as is requirement CEA can reject it saying they are not valid electors”.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also highlighted the importance of a transparent electoral college. “Every election needs a well-defined and clear electoral college. The process of forming the electoral college must also be clear, well-defined, and transparent. An ad hoc electoral college is no electoral college”, he tweeted on August 31.

Tewari further noted that Chidambaram’s observation was accurate and reiterated that for any election to be kosher the electoral college must be constitutionally constituted. Earlier, Congress leader Anand Sharma had also raised the issue in a CWC meeting on Sunday. He had alleged that there was no clarity on the PCC delegates who would vote in the election for Congress president. He also said that many State-level leaders were not aware of the list of delegates that make up the 9,000-member strong electoral college.

Mistry at that time too had stated that those who wanted to see their names could go to the PCC office and confirm. “What is the problem? I don’t understand”, he had asked. In an exclusive interview with the Indian Express, on being asked why were the electoral rolls not published on the INC website, Mistry said that electoral rolls were not for the general public. “It is an organizational election, our members can have it. It is our property”, he was quoted.

To note, on August 30, Mistry rejected former senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s allegation that the Congress’s presidential polls are a farce and reiterated that there should not be any doubt in anyone’s mind about the fairness of the electoral process.

The CWC determined on August 28 that the election for Congress president will take place on October 17 and that if there are several candidates, the counting will take place on October 19. Reports mention that though the electoral process will officially begin on September 22, the party’s central election authority has begun informing the PCC about the electoral system and has sent the pro forma of the election form that aspiring presidential candidates must fill out.

NCRB Crime Data 2021: Jharkhand saw maximum number of communal riots in the country

OpIndia Staff
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NCRB Crime Data 2021: Jharkhand saw maximum number of communal riots in the country

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently released the crime statistics for the year 2021. The data showed that a total of 378 communal riots took place across the country, out of which 100 took in Jharkhand.

In the number of communal riots, Maharashtra stood in second place with 77 incidents, followed by Bihar with 51 incidents, Haryana with 40, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with 22 each and Assam with 17. If we talk about the general riots, a total of 41,066 such cases were registered across the country, out of which 1426 took place in Jharkhand.

Crime against children on the rise in Jharkhand

According to NCRB data, crimes against children are also on the rise in the state. In the year 2019, 1,674 cases of crimes against children were registered, while it increased to 1,795 in 2020 and 1,867 in 2021. A slight drop in crimes against women was seen in 2020, but it again rose in 2021. A total of 8,760 crimes against women were registered in 2019, followed by 7,630 in 2020, and 8,110 cases were registered in 2021.

Rape crimes against minors girls

As per the data, two girls below the age of six, 21 girls between the ages of six and 12, 92 between the ages of 12 and 16 and 231 between the ages of 16 and 18, became the victims of rape in Jharkhand. Nine hundred one girls between the age group, 18 to 30  and 218 women in the age group of 30 and 45 years were reportedly raped in 2021.

Acid attacks in Jharkhand

As per the data, a total of 69 acid attacks were reported in 2021, out of which two were reported in Jharkhand.

Sexual abuse cases

A total of 46,918 cases of molestation were registered across the country, out of which 69 were reported in Jharkhand. Such cases remained at an almost similar level compared to previous years. Similarly, 17,107 cases of sexual abuse were registered across the country, out of which 148 were registered in Jharkhand.

West Bengal: 29-year-old man brutally rapes a pregnant cow, the cow dies due to excessive bleeding

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: 29-year-old man brutally rapes a pregnant cow, the cow dies due to excessive bleeding

On Wednesday, a 29-year-old man named Pradyut Bhuiya was arrested by the West Bengal Police for allegedly raping a pregnant cow. The incident is said to have happened in the North Chandanpidi area of Namkhana block, South 24 Parganas district.

According to the reports, the cow who was bearing a child was raped at the midnight. The cow belonged to the neighbor of the accused identified as Aarti Bhuiya. The incident came to light after the owner of the cow filed a complaint against the accused at the city police station.

Aarti Bhuiya mentioned in the complaint that the accused entered the cattle shed from behind the house and brutally raped the cow. “The cow died due to excessive bleeding after being raped at around midnight,” the complainant was quoted.

Reports mention that the accused has been a troublesome person to people around the North Chandanpidi area. According to one of the residents, there are numerous allegations against the accused. “He had earlier stolen goats, vehicles, and vegetables from fields. The boy should be punished adequately for his inhumane act”, the resident added.

Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Karnataka when a 34-year-old resident named Manjunath of Gejjalagere village near Maddur town in Mandya district was arrested for having unnatural sex with cows. According to the reports, the accused had developed the habit of having unnatural sex with cows for which he would travel to Bengaluru University Jnanabharathi campus from his village.

In the present case, the West Bengal Police has arrested Pradyut Bhuiya and have charged him under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced before the Kakdwip Sub-Divisional Court on Tuesday and now has been sent to 14 days in judicial custody.

Ukrainian fighters using Pakistan-made artillery against Russia? Viral video shows projectiles from Pakistan Ordnance Factory

OpIndia Staff
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Ukrainian fighters using Pakistan-made artillery against Russia? Viral video shows projectiles from Pakistan Ordnance Factory

The Ukrainian military is reportedly using Pakistan-made artillery against Russian troops. As per reports, 122 mm HR artillery is being used against Russian troops in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

An OSINT account named Ukraine weapons tracker had recently shared a video of 122 m HE artilleries under use in Ukraine. He shared that Ukrainian artillerymen were seen using ammunition that was clearly made in Pakistan Ordinance Factory (POF), evident from the distinct British packaging widely used by POF.

He further added that the ammunition was only recently manufactured a few months ago, probably due to the escalation of the conflict.

It is notable here that Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan was in Moscow on the day Russia launched the military operation against Ukraine. Since then, Pakistan has refused to take an explicit stand over the issue and has rebuffed global attempts to get the country to antagonise Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, citing its fuel and food needs.

Earlier this month, reports had emerged claiming that Pakistan may be helping the UK to ferry weapons via an airbridge through Cyprus and Romania to Ukraine. However, finding Pakistan-made weapons in the war is a new development. The UK has announced arms and ammunition worth $2.8 billion to Ukraine so far.

The Wire does it again: Twists PM Modi’s statement on nutrition programs to claim he said bhajans reduce the burden of malnutrition

Anurag
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The Wire does it again: Twists PM Modi’s statement on nutrition programs to claim he said bhajans reduce the burden of malnutrition

On August 30, The Wire published a report titled ‘Dear PM Modi: Good Food Will Reduce the Burden of Malnutrition, Not Bhajans’ where the media house criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that “Bhajans can play role in controlling the problem of malnutrition”.

The Wire opened its report with “In the 92nd episode of his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme on August 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the ‘Mera Bachha’ campaign and about celebrating ‘Poshan Maah’ – the cause of good nutrition – in September. He also said that conducting bhajans and singing devotional songs can help reduce the burden of malnutrition.”

Excerpt from The Wire report.

The report further reads, “Many scholars and scientists have often criticized Prime Minister Modi for his irrational claims on many occasions. Reminiscent of his “taali, thali and Diwali” campaign as the COVID-19 pandemic was gaining strength, Modi’s comment on bhajans only distracts from the dire importance of effective public health measures – even as the rate of improvement of some important indicators have slid in his time at the helm.”

Excerpt from The Wire report.

The report authored by Pankaj Kumar Mishra, asserted that the way PM Modi talked about a community program in Madhya Pradesh where people gather, collect grains and distribute cooked food was not the right way, as he mentioned “Bhajan-Kirtan” and diverted the attention from the matter. “This is counterproductive,” the author suggested.

Complete distortion of PM Modi’s statement on malnutrition

First of all, neither Taali, Thaali, and Diwali campaigns were to gain strength, nor Bhajan-Kirtan have to do anything with managing malnutrition. The covid campaign was to encourage and appreciate the frontline health workers, and it also gave a sense of unity among the people of India that the author completely missed for some reason.

Now coming to the Bhajan-Kirtan portion of the monologue, it appears that the author either did not listen to PM Modi’s speech, or he just decided to interpret what he meant without actually understanding the culture, traditions, and rituals that revolve around different communities in India.

What did PM Modi say?

At around 12 minutes into his Mann Ki Baat monologue, PM Modi talks about steps taken by the Bongaigaon administration in Assam under Project Sampoorna in a unique way. Under this program, one woman, who is a mother of a well-nourished child, meets the mother of a child who is malnourished and explains the importance of nutrition as a friend. With this program, over 90% of children are out of malnutrition.

PM Modi then moves on to Datia village in Madhya Pradesh. PM Modi said that under the “Mera Bachha Abhiyaan”, bhajan-kirtans (Hindu gatherings where devotional songs for Hindu gods and goddesses) were held in the districts. In such bhajan-kirtans, teachers were called in as nutrition gurus. Under the ‘Matka’ program, women would bring a handful of grains to the Anganwadi centre, and with all these grains, a ‘Balbhoj’ is organized on Saturdays. This not only increased the attendance of children in Anganwadis but also showed a dip in malnutrition.

Similarly, a unique campaign is underway in Giridih in Jharkhand, where children are taught about good and bad habits of nutrition via a game of snakes and ladders.

Does he say Bhajan-Kirtan reduces the burden of malnutrition? No. He very clearly did not. It is very easy to listen to his Mann Ki Baat episode as it is widely available on YouTube even if you miss its broadcast. If the person is not well-versed in Hindi, the English version was published on the same day by the Press Bureau of India (PIB) as it always does.

Excerpt from English render of Mann Ki Baat episode 92. Source: PIB

He said, “Can you imagine whether song and music and bhajans can also be used to remove malnutrition? It was successfully used in the “Mera Bachha Campaign” in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh. Under this, bhajan-kirtans were organized in the district, in which teachers as nutrition gurus were called. A Matka program was also held, in which women bring a handful of grains to the Anganwadi centre, and with this grain, a ‘Balbhoj’ is organized on Saturdays. Besides this increase in the attendance of children in Anganwadi centres, malnutrition has also shown a dip. A unique campaign is also going on in Jharkhand to increase awareness about malnutrition. A snake-ladder game has been prepared in Giridih, Jharkhand. Through play, children learn about good and bad habits.”

Upon carefully reading and listening to what he said, it is clear that PM Modi mentioned that the program organized in Datia district not only brought people together and helped them in learning about malnutrition, but the attendance of children in Anganwadi centres also increased, that showed a dip in malnutrition. Bhajan-Kirtan was only a way to bring people together.

If we go by The Wire’s author’s logic, the food distribution drives and charity concerts organized by prominent personalities to tackle different world problems will also be “diverting the attention from the real problem”. There are a lot of traditions, cultures, and rituals followed by different communities in India that have a deeper meaning. Food distribution among the needy is one of the most auspicious ways of ‘daan’ in Sanatan Dharma. Doing Bhajan-Kirtan followed by food distribution has been happening for centuries in India, and if it can help in drawing children towards Anganwadi centres where they get a diet as per experts’ recommendations, what is the harm?

Just because Bhajan-Kirtan is a “Hindu” thing, is it being attacked? Will the author say the same for Langar that Sikh communities organize after religious ceremonies? Or would he suggest the same for food distribution programs organized by churches after the Sunday Mass? The questions, in our opinion, will remain unanswered.

As court allows Ganeshotsav at Hubli Idgah Maidan, read how Congress govt had opened fire on Hindus for trying to hoist the national flag there

OpIndia Staff
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As court allows Ganeshotsav at Hubli Idgah Maidan, read how Congress govt had opened fire on Hindus for trying to hoist the national flag there

In a landmark judgement delivered last night, the Karnataka High Court allowed the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to go ahead at the Idgah ground in Hubli-Dharwad in Karnataka. The High court rejected the petition filed by Anjuman-E-Islam seeking a stay order on the Dharwad Municipal Commissioner’s permission granted for the Hindu festival.

The Idgah Maidan in Hubli has been a subject of dispute for decades, with Muslims claiming that they own the ground exclusively, while the administration maintains that it’s a govt property only leased to Muslims. The long-standing ownership dispute was ended in 2010 when the Supreme Court ruled that the Idgah Maidan was the exclusive property of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC).

Before this historic judgement, the ground was subject to dispute for decades, and in 1994, six people were killed when the then Congress govt in the state had prevented nationalist people from hoisting the flag on the ground.

Hindu organisations were attempting to hoist the tricolour at the ground since 1992, but the Congress govt in Karnataka was preventing it, saying it will lead to communal tensions. But in 1994, several Hindu organisations had planned to hoist the national flag on Independence Day in that year. To prevent the planned flag hoisting, the Congress govt at the state had imposed curfew in the city.

But despite the curfew order, Uma Bharti and several other leaders managed to enter the city, and a large number of Hindus had gathered near the Idgah maidan to hoist the flag led by the BJP leader. However, Uma Bharti was arrested around 1 km from the ground, and it sparked communal tension. But suddenly, the police opened fire on the Hindus unprovoked, killing six unarmed people.

The Veerappa Moily govt had sided with the Muslims to not allow the Hindu organisations to hoist the national flag at the Idgah Maidan in Hubli on 15th August 1994. It was also reported that the police resorted to firing to disperse the crowd without using non-lethal methods such as lathi-charge, tear gas shells etc first.

Uma Bharti and several others were charge-sheeted by the people in the case that was filed in the matter. While the case remained dormant for a decade, Uma Bharti was arrested in 2004 after a court had issued fresh arrest warrants, forcing her to resign from the post of Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

The Idgah Maidan dispute

The dispute over the Idgah maidan was the result of an agreement signed a century ago that allowed AeI to use the ground for prayers. In 1921, the Anjuman-E-Islam had signed an agreement with the municipality that allowed it to use the ground twice a year for Ramzan and Bakri Id, and the agreement was valid for 999 years. However, the nature of the agreement was the subject of the dispute, as the agreement didn’t spell out the details.  The agreement said that AeI would have to pay a rent of Re 1 per year for the ground, but didn’t mention whether it was a lease or a licence.

The dispute over the Idgah maidan started in 1971 when the Anjuman-E-Islam started to build a commercial complex at the Idgah Maidan after obtaining permission from HDMC. Hindus objected to it, saying that the AeI is only licenced to use the ground, it does not own the land, and it is not allowed to build any permanent structure there. In 1992, B S Shettar and several others filed a petition against the construction, and a trial court ruled in their favour in 1994, rejecting the ownership claim of the Anjuman. The court also ordered the demolition of the commercial complex built by Anjuman.

Anjuman then appealed against the verdict in the Civil Court, the High Court, and the Supreme Court, and lost the case at every stage. In the final verdict issued in 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the land is owned by the Municipality and the AeI is only licenced to use it for prayers. The apex court had also ordered the demolition of the commercial complex built by Anjuman, upholding the verdicts of the lower courts.

National flag on the ground

However, the hoisting of the national flag on the ground had started much before the SC verdict. After the riots in 1994, the Anjuman-e-Islam itself started to hoist the tricolour on the ground the next year, due to political pressure and the negative publicity it had received for refusing to allow the hoisting of the national flag.

After the Supreme Court verdict in January 2010 saying that the ground is owned by HDMC, the municipal corporation started to hoist the tricolour at the ground starting from Republic Day that year.

British publication publishes blatant lies on Hindus, inadvertently ends up calling the Gandhis ‘useless’, withdraws article, blames ‘bigoted Hindus’

Nirwa Mehta
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British publication publishes blatant lies on Hindus, inadvertently ends up calling the Gandhis ‘useless’, withdraws article, blames ‘bigoted Hindus’

It takes tremendous amount of shamelessness to publish blatant lies and laughable anecdotes by some random British woman of Indian descent who $hits all over Hindu diaspora in Britain and to again blame the same community while withdrawing the piece of trash after being called out for bigotry themselves.

Here is what happened. British publication The Independent last week published one article titled “British Indians have a racism problem – we need to be honest about it” [archived] by one Smriti Singh. In her article, Smriti claims her parents moved to the UK, but does not mention explicitly whether she was born in India or in the UK and where has she spent most part of her life. She claims that in the ‘early days’ they all faced racism. And now, she claims, Hindus in UK are ‘racist’ towards Muslims in UK which is ‘stirred up by extreme right wing government in India’.

See, this is what happens when you form your opinions based on Twitter chatter and suffer from Kaushik Basu syndrome where you very likely hold imaginary conversations with imaginary cab drivers, or in case of Smriti Singh, ‘WhatsApp conversations’. She does not give any basis or data to prove this increased ‘racist behaviour’ by British Hindus. But we must take her word for it.

Singh then claims that ‘Hindu fundamentalism’ is growing in India since 2014 ever since PM Modi formed government for the first time and everyone is trying to change ‘secular country’ to one that puts Hindu first. To make things clear to Singh, the Indian constitution as drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar did not mention India as a secular country. In fact, the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were added by Indira Gandhi during the 42nd Amendment that was done during the Emergency when entire opposition leadership was in jail.

And more importantly, secularism is a two-way street. Wasn’t it former PM Dr Manmohan Singh who said ‘minority’ have the first right to resources? That was how lack of secular behaviour institutionalised. Hindus may be majority in India but are global minorities. Which is why India will always be natural home to Hindus, the land of Sanatan Dharma, the civilisation.

Which brings me to next portion of Smriti Singh’s brain fart. She claims, “In 2019, the BJP passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, providing Indian citizenship to refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan – but specifically excluding Muslims.” The CAA fast-tracks Indian citizenship to those religious minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, who had to flee Islamic countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan because they faced religious persecution. The CAA only brought down the 11 year wait period to 5 year for these religious minorities.

Does it exclude Muslims ‘specifically’? No. Muslims from these countries *CAN* get Indian citizenship as per law of the land, just not get it fast-tracked under the CAA. Because the CAA is specifically for persecuted religious minority. It would be shocking if Muslims themselves are persecuted for their faith in countries where Islam is State religion. So, if Singh does not have her concepts clear and learns legislations from Instagram stories of low IQ woke influencers, how is it Modi’s fault?

Singh then mentions, “Muslim girls who wear the hijab are increasingly excluded from schools.” This is untrue. The hijabi girls have themselves chosen to wear hijab, that is not part of uniform, and not go to school. For years hijab has been seen as symbol of oppression. Islamists have been comparing women with candies and saying how ants are found on candies without wrapper, hijab acts like such wrapper for women. These hijabi girls from Karnataka who chose faith over education were hailed by Al Qaeda chief who recited a poem and even won praises from extremist organisation Taliban in Afghanistan.

Islamists have claimed hijab is a choice, but in countries like Afghanistan, women are killed if they choose not to wear a hijab. It is a ‘choice’ when you have the privilege you will not be killed for exercising your right not to wear something. Hence, hijab is not a choice. Further, hijab, unlike Sikh turban, is not essential part of their faith. Many practicing Muslims have been very vocal against hijab and have called it symbol of oppression. That Smriti Singh based her ‘intolerance’ opinion on half-baked information does not come as a surprise because that’s how the ‘liberals’ are.

Smriti Singh then invokes the so-called lynching of ‘Muslims’ over illegal cow smuggling, but carefully kept out the menace of forced religious conversion because obviously that doesn’t suit the agenda. She then expresses disbelief at how despite all this, PM Modi enjoys widespread support amongst Hindu diaspora.

She then tries to talk about the policy paralysis during Congress time and the red-tapism and dared to point out that despite losing last two elections the Gandhis continue to be the face of Congress and said in as many words that there is no effective political opposition. This is the only part where one could agree with Singh. Democracy is only as effective as the opposition. The ruling party needs an effective opposition to keep them in check. Instead, we are stuck with opposition which only believes in creating nuisance and acting like the Rakshasas from our ancient texts who would drop skulls and bones when the kings were doing a Yagna to create hindrance.

Anyway, more such rhetorics later, she asks British Hindus to introspect and speak out against ‘anti-Muslim’ prejudice back home in India.

Amusingly, what Smriti Singh, whoever she is, wrote in this writeup is nothing new. In fact, this is much milder version than what others like celebrity ‘journalists’ and ‘economists’ from India and other ‘brown sahibs’ write in foreign publications. While it as absolutely useless piece and waste of time, there was nothing ‘vile’ in it. Only thing that could have created problem in this was Singh saying it in as many words that the Gandhis are useless as opposition.

However, The Independent’s Deputy Editor of Opinions, Sunny Hundal, decided to take it down because he claimed she was getting threats. He did not explain what threats, and who those threats were from. He claimed she was being called anti-Hindu despite being Hindu herself.

Now, Hundal is also being quite vague. I am inclined to believe the article was taken down more because it called Gandhis useless and that goes against the international narrative of trying to portray Rahul Gandhi as the beacon of hope in Modi’s intolerant India.

To put things in perspective, in February 2021, Hundal, who was then associated with openDemocracy, was given platform by British state-run media British Broadcasting Company (BBC) to further the Khalistani narrative of creating a Sikh vs Hindu divide in India. During the farmer protests, where in there were ample evidence of Khalistani elements being involved, Hundal had claimed that if there is violence in India, there will be violence in the UK. He even said that the British government must intervene in India’s internal affairs. “It is our duty to tell Indian government to calm down its rhetoric,” he said.

From Khalistani group Sikh For Justice openly offering funds for fuelling the protests to pro-Khalistan Canadian politicians like Jagmeet Singh and Canadian businessmen Mo Dhaliwal extending explicit support and funding to fuel unrest in India, the protest of Punjab farmers had taken a turn that threatened India’s sovereignty.

But that’s not all, Hundal has earlier tried to propagate falsehood regarding the abrogation of Article 370 which made the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India without any riders attached.

Hundal has been associated with openDemocracy, a globalist institution that receives significant donations from the Ford Foundation, George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Heinrich Boll Foundation and numerous others. After ‘climate activist’ Greta Thunberg accidentally tweeted the ‘toolkit’ exposing global conspiracy to defame India, George Soros connection had emerged. Billionaire George Soros, who funds political NGOs to disrupt governments and economies, had openly declared his intentions to interfere in India’s internal affairs.

While speaking at the World Economic Forum, Soros had committed $1 billion to start a global university to ‘fight nationalists’, whom he referred to as ‘authoritarian governments’. He had even accused the Indian Prime Minister of ‘creating a Hindu nationalist state’. Soros’ Open Society Foundation has links with a vast network of organisations and ‘activists’. Organisations connected with Soros’ OSF have been pursuing media and legal battles against the Indian government from issues ranging from the Rafael deal to Article 370 and the CAA.

And now Hundal write long threads on ‘threats’ received by some random woman named Smriti Singh in UK for an article with calls the Gandhis useless and blames it on ‘Hindus’.

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