On Monday, the Allahabad High Court issued order allowing videography of the disputed structure at Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura on the lines of disputed structure ‘Gyanvapi Masjid’ at Kashi Vishwanath temple. A petition was filed in connection with the Mathura Janmabhoomi. A bench of Justice Piyush Agarwal issued the order.
A senior advocate will be appointed as commissioner and two advocates will be assistant commissioners for the videography. The survey report has to be submitted in 4 months’ time.
Petitioner Manish Yadav said that the plea was stuck in court on the disputed structure in Mathura District court since a year. But now the Allahabad High Court has clearly said that the report of videography needs to be submitted in 4 months’ time.
This order comes months after the videography survey at disputed structure at Gyanvapi showed a Shivling was found at the wuzukhana at the mosque. The Kashi Vishwanath mandir, just like the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, was destroyed by Islamic invaders and a mosque was constructed on the ruins of Hindu temples. Mathura, too, is one such place where a temple was destroyed for mosque.
The Shahi Idgah Mosque stands at the Krishna Janmabhoomi in the city of Mathura. The Islamic invader Aurangzeb had destroyed the ancient Keshavnath temple and built the Shahi Idgah Mosque on its plinth in 1669.
In his petition, Yadav has stated that “religious artefacts, ancient inscriptions and mythological evidence related to the Hindu religion exist on the Idgah premises, and the same has been concealed there. These facts need to be presented before the court.”
There has been a growing demand among Hindus to reclaim Kashi and Mathura, along with Ayodhya. Reclaiming the disputed sites of Kashi Vishwanath temple and Krishna Janmabhoomi temple at Mathura has now become a priority for various Hindu groups in the country.
On Monday, August 29, the Supreme Court pulled up the Muslim student petitioners who sought an adjournment in the Hijab ban case, stating that it would not tolerate “this kind of forum shopping. The court also issued a notice to the Karnataka government on petitions challenging a High Court ruling refusing to lift the ban on hijab in state educational institutions.
The bench comprising of justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia stated that it will not entertain a plea filed by some Muslim student petitioners seeking adjournment since an early hearing was sought by the petitioners themselves.
#BREAKING [Hijab Ban] “Will not permit forum shopping”: Supreme Court rejects request by petitioners for adjournment; issues notice
The apex court was hearing almost 23 petitions filed challenging the Karnataka HC order upholding the Hijab Ban.
On July 13, the petitioners’ lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, requested an urgent listing of the pleas. Bhushan claimed that the ban was causing female students who wanted to wear the hijab to fall behind in their studies.
Chief Justice Lalit’s predecessor, NV Ramana, had stated that the case will be heard by the Supreme Court a week later. The petitions, however, were not listed. On August 2, Ramana stated that this was due to the fact that the judges who were meant to hear the petitions were ill.
The next hearing date in the case has been set as September 5.
Muslim girl student moves SC after Karnataka HC dismisses petitions saying hijab is not an essential religious practice
In March 2022, hours after the Karnataka High Court dismissed the collective pleas by Muslim student petitioners against the ban on wearing the hijab (headscarf) in classrooms, the latter moved the Supreme Court against the verdict.
The petition filed in the apex court by a Muslim student named Niba Namaz through Advocate Anas Tanvir challenged the Karnataka High Court verdict in the hijab case. This challenge came after the High Court upheld the ban on religious symbols in pre-university colleges, stating that the hijab is not an essential practice of the Islamic faith.
SC agrees to hear petition against HC verdict
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition challenging the Karnataka High Court’s verdict regarding the hijab ban in the upcoming week.
After hearing both counsels today, the apex court accepted Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s request and issued a notice to the Karnataka government for their response, and posted the matter for hearing on September 5.
Karnataka Hijab row
A major controversy erupted in Karnataka in January 2022 after a Udupi school prohibited hijab inside classrooms. Some Muslim girl students, supported by PFI had appealed against this in the Karnataka High Court. On February 25, the court reserved its decision on the case. Protests, allegations, and counter-allegations occurred in response to the hijab ban.
The Karnataka High Court declared on March 15 that wearing a headscarf does not constitute an essential Islamic practice as the petitioners failed to provide evidence in that regard. The Karnataka High Court dismissed all petitions contesting the hijab ban in Karnataka schools and decided that the rules for the uniform dress were fair and that students can not object to respective dress codes mandated by educational institutions.
A Full Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi pronounced the decision. The Bench ascertained that the petitioners’ basic rights were not violated by a uniform dress code at educational institutions.
Following that, Muslim students from Karnataka petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the judgment of the Karnataka High Court.
In a video making rounds on the internet, former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi can be seen insulting former Indian Cricketer and Member of Parliament Gautam Gambhir. Netizens are criticizing Harbhajan Singh and Aaj Tak journalist Vikrant Gupta for laughing along with the Pakistani player rather than calling him out for mocking Gambhir.
Famous parody Twitter account Yo Yo Funny Singh shared the video writing, “It’s such a shame that both @vikrantgupta73 & @harbhajan_singh instead of countering Shahid Afridi, were laughing along when he was mocking a fellow Indian @GautamGambhir. Try this with Afridi for a fellow Pakistani !!”
In the video, Shahid Afridi says, “Ek Social media Par Bohot Chalti hai Meri Aur Gautam Ki Aur Gautam Ek Aisa Character Hai Jise Mere Khyaal Mein Puri Indian Team Hi Nahi Pasand Nahi Karti (A lot goes on social media between me and Gautam and Gautam is such a character that I think the entire Indian team does not like.).” Harbhajan and Vikrant burst out laughing in response to Afridi’s remarks.
Several people commented on Harbhajan and Vikrant’s reaction. A user wrote, “@harbhajan_singh brother, we expect you to speak for your former teammates when any outsider target them. Same goes for @vikrantgupta73 . This was not expected from you guys”
@harbhajan_singh brother, we expect you to speak for your former teammates when any outsider target them. Same goes for @vikrantgupta73 . This was not expected from you guys
Another user pointed out the political opposition between Harbhajan and Gautam Gambhir. He wrote, “Shame on you @vikrantgupta73 . We can understand Bhajji’s politics. His party’s compulsion. You as a journalist, wasn’t expected from you…”
Shame on you @vikrantgupta73 . We can understand Bhajji’s politics. His party’s compulsion. You as a journalist, wasn’t expected from you…
A user wrote that Harbhajan Singh donated millions to Afridi for POK cricket league and later apologized. “Harbhajan Singh donated millions to Afridi for POK cricket league and later apologized. And Vikrant is probably the worst sports journalist I have seen or heard.”
Harbhajan singh donated millions to Afridi for POK cricket league and later apologized. And Vikrant is probably the worst sports journalist i have seen or heard.
The viral video comes from a 40-minute-long interview on the Sports Tak YouTube channel prior to the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup tournament in Dubai on August 28. The interview was between Harbhajan Singh and Vikrant Gupta from India and Shahid Afridi from Sama TV in Pakistan.
It is notable that India defeated Pakistan in yesterday’s Asia Cup match in Dubai. In the Asia Cup encounter on Sunday, Hardik Pandya’s outstanding all-around play helped India defeat Pakistan by an incredible margin of five wickets. Pandya scored 33 runs off 17 balls, including the game-winning six in the last over bowled by left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz, while Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli both scored 35 runs.
Dumka girl Ankita Kumari, who was set on fire by her stalker Shahrukh Hussain 5 days ago, had succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of Sunday. Now, two videos have surfaced on social media containing the deceased’s painful, heart-rending dying statement.
In the first video, Ankita Kumari is seen speaking to the media from the hospital bed. The deceased, in evident pain, said that Shahrukh Hussain had threatened her with dire consequences a night before the attack. She further recalled how she went and immediately informed her father about the same. Since it was late in the night, her father asked her to go to sleep and said that they would think about what step needed to be taken the next morning.
Ankita further said in her dying declaration that she was in deep sleep at around 4 in the morning, when Shahrukh and his friend, whom she identified as Chhotu, threw petrol at her from the room’s window and set her on fire. When her eyes opened she saw the two running away. On being asked, Ankita confirmed that the area she lived in had a predominantly Muslim population.
Ankita said near the end of the video that she wishes Shahrukh is not spared. “He should die the way I am dying today,” said the Dumka girl who breathed her last at 2.30 am on Sunday morning.
In the second video, the deceased is heard saying that Shahrukh Hussain’s brother did not fear the law. He had warned action against those who dare to complain against Shahrukh and get him arrested. He had said, “Dekhte hai kaun jail me dhukata hai, jail se niklenge toh sabko dekh lenge. (lets see who dares to get us jailed, won’t spare them after coming out of the prison)”. Ankita also recalled how Shahruk’s brother had openly threatened her. “He had threatened me saying kill the girl who got him (Shahrukh Hussain) arrested,” Ankita recalled.
Another dying declaration of the victim Ankita Kumari, where in she states that even after warning of being jailed, they didn’t stop and instead kept on threatening her with dire consequences.#Jharkhand#AnkitaKumaripic.twitter.com/Te1pD0I97h
— Digital Update India ?? (@DigitalUpdateIN) August 28, 2022
The horrific attack on Ankita happened on Tuesday (August 23) morning in Dumka in Jharkhand. Ankita had told the police in a critical state that her neighbour, Shahrukh, used to harass her every day. He used to approach her and seek her friendship. He had also obtained her phone number and used to call her repeatedly, asking her for friendship. When Ankita chastised him for not stopping, he threatened to kill her.
Ankita informed her father of this on Monday. When she woke up the next morning, her body was in flames as she ran up to family members who attempted to extinguish the fire. Her family then hurriedly took her to the hospital. It was found in the hospital that Ankita had suffered severe burns.
In the hospital, Ankita named Shahrukh as the culprit behind the horrific crime. After taking Ankita and her family members’ statements, police arrested Shahrukh the same day. She was initially taken to Phoolo Jhano Medical College Hospital in Dumka, and was later shifted to RIMS in Ranchi as she was in a critical condition.
Ankita’s family members hoped she would survive. However, due to severe burns, she was unable to recover and died around 2:30 AM on Sunday. Photos show that her hands, legs and face were badly burnt.
On August 21, a Hindu-American identified as Krishnan Jayaraman Iyer was at Fremont Taco Bell waiting to pick up his order when another customer started abusing him without any provocation. The tall bearded man kept on abusing Jayaraman for over 8 minutes. Jayaraman, who had already received the order, calmly recorded the verbal attack without responding. According to ABC7 News, he decided to stay and record as he was worried the attacker might follow him to his car.
The man could be heard saying, “Walking around with your f*****g toes out. B***h, this ain’t India.” He continued, “You f****d India up. You’re f*****g America up.” Calling the attack vile, Jayaraman remembered how the abuser had pointed fingers at him and said, “You’re a Hindu who bathes in cow urine.” Cow urine or Gau Mutra jibes are used against Hindus, and such attacks are similar to the language used by terrorists that have been active in the Kashmir valley.
He further added, “Indian people are a joke. Look at this nasty s**t.” The abuse continued even while the attacker ordered his meal at the counter. He intentionally ordered beef to instigate Jayaraman as cows are revered by Hindus. Jayaraman said, “I didn’t see a point of me trying to engage somebody who’s hell-bent on picking up a fight and wanting me to engage. He was so close to my face. He was throwing his dollars in my face. He was spitting everywhere.”
Jayaraman told NBC Bay Area, “I was scared, to be honest with you. I was infuriated on one hand, but I was scared that what if this guy becomes too belligerent and then comes after me?” Despite the continuous attack, the Taco Bell employees did not intervene or try to stop the abuser. Though it might be their policy not to engage and to inform the Police, which they did, the video clearly shows that the verbal attack could have turned physical at any point.
Jayaraman said, “So many of these employees were so busy, but they’re in the front. They’re seeing him abusing me. So I thought, at least they will ask him to leave the establishment, which is probably what most franchises would do. I mean, I don’t know what the policies of Taco Bell are.”
Jayaraman pointed out that the man was pronouncing Hindi and Punjabi words perfectly and used abuses for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as well. He said, “F**k Indira Gandhi, n****.” That was the time when he realized that the attacker could be an Indian.
OpIndia went through the video and noticed a few signs that pointed out him being a Sikh. On his arm, the attacker had a tattoo that read “Mann Neeva Mat Uchchi” in Punjabi, that ironically translates to “Discard your ego and live a life with high morals and humbleness”. He had more tattoos on his shoulder that looked like a war scene with several machine guns depicted
Screenshots from the viral video.
Jayaraman told ABC7, “Toward the end of the video, he said the late Prime Minister’s name and threw an f-bomb at it. And then I realized, oh my god, he may be Indian.” He went ahead and said he could be linked to the Khalistani movement. Jayaraman said, “That group, the Khalistan group, was deemed a terrorist organization in India.”
Further, blaming Hindus for the British invasion of India, the man told to Jayaraman, “You were the ones when the East India Company came, you were the ones to kneel first. Your people were the ones to put your head down, b****!” He believed there could be an ulterior motive for the attack.
Towards the end of the video, the man could be seen walking out of the establishment as Fremont police officers arrived and called him out. In the last couple of seconds, a Fremont police officer could be seen approaching Jayaraman.
In a statement, the Police said, “Fremont Police Department is aware of the disturbing video circulating on social media related to an incident at a fast food restaurant on August 21, 2022. We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Because this is an active investigation, we will release information about the incident as soon as possible without compromising the investigation.”
The statement contained remarks from Police Chief Sean Washington, who said, “We take hate incidents and hate crimes seriously and understand the significant impact they have on our community. These incidents are despicable. We are here to protect all community members, regardless of their gender, race, nationality, religion, and other differences. We would like to urge the community to be respectful of each other and to immediately report any circumstances such as this that, upon investigation, may rise to the level of a crime. In the event of a hate crime, we will devote all available resources to follow up and investigate. Fremont is one of the nation’s most diverse communities, and we are thankful for the contributions of community members from different cultures and backgrounds.”
The Coalition of Hindus of North America’s (CoHNA) Pushpita Prasad said, “I think that video is so horrific. It’s sort of what we have been dreading for a while. We’ve been seeing an increasing number of attacks on Hindu Americans. Hindu hatred has been around for a while. And it’s, unfortunately, surfacing right now. Partly because there are a lot of actors that are sort of creating a lot of hate.”
So far, no update on the case has been reported by the Police.
A controversial civil society outfit, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has cried foul over the conduct of Ram Katha at the Raj Bhavan in Rajasthan.
As per reports, Governor Kalraj Mishra invited Hindu saint Vijay Kaushal to deliver Pravachan on Lord Ram for a period of 5 days at his official residence. Besides the Ram Katha, there is also an exhibition of Bhakti arts at Raj Bhavan between August 27 and August 31 this year.
Prior to the start of the event, Kalraj Mishra performed the traditional rituals by performing Puja of Lord Ram and the Ramcharitmanas. The Rajasthan Governor had earlier sent out invitations for the event and informed that anyone can enter the Raj Bhavan, following security check at the gates.
However, the decision to conduct such a religious eventdrew the ire of PUCL. It claimed that the 5-day programme undermined the dignity of the Governor’s office and also violated the Constitutional principles of secularism.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties alleged that it was not against Ram Katha and only objected to its organisation at the Raj Bhavan. According to the President of its Rajasthan unit, Kavita Srivastava, the Governor’s House could only be used for cultural programmes such as Holi, Diwali, Eid, Christmas and Guru Nanak Jayanti.
She claimed, “This event (Ram Katha) brazenly compromises the secular character of our Constitution. These are not personal programmes of the Governor,” Srivastava also objected to the exhibition of Bhakti arts at the Governor’s residence.
She demanded that the religious event be shifted to another ‘public space’ and called upon the State government and the Rajasthan Governor to refrain from sponsoring Ram Katha. Kavita Srivastava suggested that celebrating only one religious festival will weaken Indian Constitutional values.
“Will the Governor likewise organise religious events and arts exhibitions of faiths like Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sarna-Adivasi, etc.?” the PUCL (Rajasthan) chief inquired.
The General Secretary of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Anant Bhatnagar, also claimed that shifting Ram Katha to a public place will restore the dignity of the Governor’s office.
PUCL and ties with Urban Naxals
PUCL is a fraternal organization of People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR). The People’s Union for Civil Liberties is the same organisation that has extensive links to Maoists, something we have reported extensively on.
‘Urban Naxals’ who were arrested in the Elgar Parishad case and in connection with an alleged assassination plot against the Prime Minister are intimately linked with the PUCL. The PUCL and its associate organisations have a history of ties to Naxals and separatists in Kashmir as well as Manipur.
Over the years, numerous members of the organisations have been arrested for their links to Maoists. One of those raided in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon, Sudha Bharadwaj, is the General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh unit of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).
Father Stan Swamy was also associated with the PUCL. The narrative that PUCL propagates is quite often antithetical to a layman’s idea of civil society. Although the link is broken, on its website, it can be seen that the organization condemned the hanging of the Islamic terrorist Afzal Guru.
As per the report of Delhi PUCL for 2016-17, they assisted Islamist outfit PFI “in the matter relating to violation of their right to protest and their freedom of speech violated by the Delhi police on 5th Nov. 2017 in Delhi”.
‘Naxalite’ Binayak Sen was also the Vice President of the PUCL even after his conviction by Raipur Sessions Court. The West Bengal unit of PUCL also published a book exonerating Sen of all his crimes and branded him a “victim of state atrocity”.
On Sunday, protests erupted in Dumka district in Jharkhand after Ankita Kumari, a twelfth standard girl student who was set ablaze by a stalker named Shahrukh Hussain after she refused his proposals, died from her injuries.
People took to the streets in considerable numbers to condemn the incident and demand that the accused be brought to justice as soon as possible. Section 144 was implemented in the Dumka district shortly after the incident.
Ankita’s body was brought for last rites on Monday morning, amidst a massive crowd gathered to witness her final journey and a considerable number of police officials were also deployed to maintain law and order. Senior cops have also arrived at the location. “The accused Shahrukh has been arrested. We will apply at fast track court for a fast trial. People are cooperating with us. We appeal to people to maintain peace. The situation is under control and Section 144 has been imposed,” said Dumka Superintendent of police (SP) Ambar Lakda.
अभियुक्तों की गिरफ़्तारी तथा नूर मुस्तफ़ा के बर्ख़ास्तगी तक हम चैन से नहीं बैठेंगे । 2/2
Ankita Kumari, who was being treated in a hospital in Ranchi after her neighbour Shahrukh poured petrol on her and set fire to her four days ago, died on Sunday. The only mistake of the girl was that she refused Shahrukh’s advances.
Ankita was brutally attacked on Tuesday (August 23) morning in Dumka, Jharkhand. Ankita had informed authorities in a critical condition that her next-door neighbour, Shahrukh, harassed her every day. He would approach her and ask for her ‘friendship’. He used to call her all the time, seeking a relationship. He threatened to kill Ankita when she scolded him for not stopping.
The district administration said that the victim’s family will get Rs 1 lakh in compensation. However, local Bharatiya Janata Party officials have requested that the family be compensated and given a government job and a compensation of Rs 1 crore ex-gratia.
Protest against SDPO Noor Mustafa Ansari
The crowd was also enraged at the Dumka police. People yelled slogans against Dumka SDPO Noor Mustafa Ansari during the rally at Dudhani Tower Chowk, accusing him of negligence. As per the residents, the SDPO allegedly classified Ankita as an adult even though she was a juvenile while reporting the case. People are calling for the suspension of SDPO Noor Mustafa Ansari and the execution of Shahrukh.
Former Supreme Court Judge Indu Malhotra has lashed out at the Communist governments in the country during her recent visit to the Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
In a video that has now surfaced on social media, retd. Justice Indu Malhotra was heard as saying, “That is what happens with these Communist governments. They want to just take over because of the revenue. Their problem is the revenue.”
“All over they have taken over. All over. Only Hindu temples. So Justice Lalit and I told, no we will not allow it,” she further added. Justice Malhotra was speaking about her verdict [pdf] in the Padmanabhaswamy temple issue, which was delivered in July 2020.
Referring to the July 2020 judgment of the Supreme Court delivered by her and Justice Lalit – Communist governments all over have taken over Hindu temples: Retired Justice Indu Malhotra#HinduTemples#FreeHinduTemplespic.twitter.com/RBs5KDLzNp
A 2-Judge Bench of Justices Indu Malhotra and UU Lalit had ruled against the Kerala government’s attempt to bring the historic temple under its control. The apex court overturned the 2011 judgment of the Kerala High Court that granted the power to the state government to take control of the temple, its management and assets.
In its verdict, the apex court stated that the death of the king will not affect the rights of the Travancore family on the temple. It ruled that all members of the temple management committee shall be members of the Hindu community.
Following the verdict, the Kerala government also stated that it will abide by the Supreme Court decision.
When Retd. Justice Indu Malhotra gave the dissenting verdict on Sabarimala issue
In September 2018, the Supreme Court of India decided that women of all ages should be allowed inside the premises of the Sabarimala temple.
In a 4-1 verdict, the apex court struck down Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, which restricted the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 in the Kerala temple.
The sole dissenting voice in this majority verdict was Justice Indu Malhotra, who was also the only woman on the 5-judge bench. Her Ladyship observed that there exists a difference between diversity and discrimination.
Her Ladyship, the sole woman, Ms. Indu Malhotra, is the sole voice of dissent and agrees with the position of the #ReadytoWait campaign in principle. Her Ladyship has acknowledged that there exists a distinction between diversity and discrimination. Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa!
Justice Indu Malhotra observed that matters of deep religious sentiment should not be interfered with by the court. She said that the shrine and the deity are protected by Article 25 of the constitution. She emphasised that the court should not interfere unless there is an aggrieved person from that religion or section.
The retired Judge observed that the subject of rationality should not be seen in religious beliefs. She observed that the people worshipping in Sabarimala have attributes of a religious denomination and that the temple gets funds from Devaswam Board.
The 21st anniversary of the deadly 9/11 attacks is just around the corner. On the fateful day of September 11, 2001, radical Islamist outfit Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, struck terror in the heart of the United States of America.
A total of 19 terrorists hijacked 4 different jetliners, with the intention to carry out targeted suicide attacks. Their motive was to hit prominent buildings, inflict maximum damage and cause mass casualties.
As part of their sinister plan, the Los Angeles-bound American Airlines Flight 11 was hijacked by 5 Al-Qaeda terrorists. Led by terrorist Mohamed Atta, they took control of the flight mid-air. The hijacked plane was then manoeuvred to crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre (WTC) at 8:46 am (US Eastern Time). The collision severely impacted the North Tower between 94th and 99th floor, leading to a whopping 1600 deaths.
Originally built in 1973, the 1368 feet building suffered a progressive collapse. “The extraordinary robustness and redundancy of the building’s structural system meant that although a giant gash now ran across much of the north wall — severing no fewer than 35 of that wall’s 59 columns — the structure managed to redistribute the load to undamaged columns on either side of the opening, maintaining its integrity,” read a report by PBS.
However, after standing tall for 102 minutes, the North Tower came crashing down at 10:28 am (US Eastern Time). Leslie Robertson, the structural engineer behind the WTC project, told BBC that a possible jetliner crash was accounted for during the construction of the building.
However, he regretted that the original design did not take into consideration the impact of fuel spillage from such a crash. “We had designed the project for the impact of the largest aeroplane of its time, the Boeing 707. The 767 that actually hit the WTC was quite another matter again,” Robertson emphasised.
He added, “First of all it was a bit heavier than the 707, not very much heavier, but a bit heavier. But mostly it was flying a lot faster. And then of course with the 707 to the best of my knowledge, the fuel load was not considered in the design, and indeed I don’t know how it could have been considered.”
Another jetliner, United Airlines Flight 175, hijacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists crashed into the 1362 feet South Tower of the World Trade Centre at 9:03 am (US Eastern Time) on September 11, 2011. It caused massive damage between the 77th and 85th floors.
The second attack took place just 17 minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 rammed into the North Tower. However, the high-rise building collapsed within 56 minutes at 9:59 am (earlier than the collapse of the North tower). It led to the deaths of an additional 900 people.
Health impact of the Twin Tower collapse
Although the official death toll of the 9/11 attack stands at around 3000, thousands of survivors and first responders continue to suffer from lung diseases and other ailments. This is due to the exposure to the construction rubble and air-borne toxic chemical mix in the aftermath of the collapse of the Twin Towers.
“The destruction of the twin towers incinerated glass, computers, heating and air conditioning systems, fluorescent lighting and other electrical equipment, steel, cement, and drywall, as well as human remains. The dust and smoke contained asbestos fibre, heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins among other poisons,” read a report in Lancet.
There have been more than 2000 deaths, which have been linked to exposure to World Trade Centre Dust (WTCD). Reportedly, about 1000 first responders of the September 11 attacks have been diagnosed with cancer since that fateful day.
The police, firefighters, and volunteers who inhaled the chemical fumes, thick dust and smoke arising from the collapsed Twin Towers are 30% more prone to developing cancer than the general population.
Professor Brian W. Christman shared, “Some of the firefighters who were first responders had the heaviest dust exposure. The NYC Fire Department has performed spirometry (i.e., lung function testing) longitudinally with 13 years of follow-up.”
He added, “Some firefighters’ lungs aged the equivalent of 10-12 years in the first weeks to months following the attack from the dust they breathed. Those who smoked did even worse.”
Demolition of ‘Twin Towers’ in India
On August 28, using controlled demolition, the Supertech Twin Towers named Ceyane and Apex in Noida were demolished at around 2:30 PM. The preparations for the demolition were going on for seven months, including one month of planning and six months of onsite preparations.
The demolition was executed using 3700 KGs of explosives, and it was carried out by two companies named Edifice Engineering and Jet Demolitions, a South African company that holds expertise in such demolitions.
The total cost of the demolition was around 20 crores. The water sprinklers were activated within minutes of the demolition to settle the dust as soon as possible and reduce its impact on the neighbouring areas.
While the authorities race to mitigate the long term effects of the dust from this demolition, we wait and see how successful they were with their planning.
On Saturday 27th August 2022, a day before Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s visit to Jalandhar, pro-Khalistan slogans were raised in the city. These slogans were written on the posters of CM Mann and former CM Beant Singh. The posters and banners welcoming the CM were vandalised by miscreants with Khalistani slogans written in black ink.
CM Mann is to visit Jalandhar for the inauguration of ‘Khedan Vatan Punjab Diyan’ on Monday. The Punjab police are investigating in connection with the slogans raised ahead of CM Bhagwant Mann’s visit. It is notable that the former CM Beant Singh died in a bomb explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995, in an attack by Khalistani terrorists.
Apart from the vandalisation of the posters, a statue of Bent Singh was also vandalised by smearing black ink. Reportedly the slogans were written on the posters on Saturday night. On receiving information about the same, police removed the slogans. The police are checking CCTV footage of nearby locations to identify the pro-Khalistani culprits.
This is not the first incident that pro-Khalistan slogans are raised in public places in Punjab after Aam Aadmi Party formed a government in Punjab in March 2022. Earlier on 20th June 2022, a man wrote pro-Khalistan slogans on the walls of two educational institutions. The culprit was nabbed on July 6. The police identified him as Manjeet who is a resident of Patiala.
In the investigations, Manjeet said that he was promised to pay USD 1,000 by a US-based person for writing these slogans. Manjeet was brought before the court, which remanded him to 5-day police custody pending further investigation.
Aam Aadmi Party is also preparing for the upcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. Incidentally, pro-Khalistani slogans were also reported from the state in May 2022. A Punjabi person was arrested for purportedly putting Khalistan flags and writing pro-Khalistan slogans on the walls in Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh. The culprit in this case belonged to Morinda in Punjab. He allegedly put up pro-Khalistan flags and wrote slogans on the wall of Himachal Assembly in Dharamsala.
In the investigations, this culprit confessed that he was also involved in putting up Khalistan banners outside the mini-secretariat complex in Punjab`s Ropar on April 13. On May 8, ‘Khalistan’ flags were discovered tied to the Assembly’s main gate and walls. Moreover, ‘Khalistan’ was inscribed in green on the outermost wall of the Assembly.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur asked the state police to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the provocative incident. The SIT, in turn, filed a first information report (FIR) against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for inciting or abetting terror acts and Indian Penal Code Sections 153A and 153B for promoting disharmony or enmity between different groups on the basis of religion.
