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Umesh Kolhe murder: Accused Abdul Arbaz and Maulvi Mushfique Ahmad threw a biriyani party after the brutal murder, NIA reveals

OpIndia Staff
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Umesh Kolhe murder: Accused Abdul Arbaz and Maulvi Mushfique Ahmad threw a biriyani party after the brutal murder, NIA reveals

On Friday (August 5), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed a special court in Mumbai that two of the accused involved in the brutal murder of Umesh Kolhe had celebrated their heinous crime by throwing a biriyani party. Umesh Kohle was killed because he extended his support to ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma after Islamists started giving her beheading and rape threats for her innocuous comments on Islam and Prophet Muhammad. Reports indicate that the murderers of Umesh Kohle were attempting to behead him when they murdered him.

As per reports, the two accused were identified as 23-year-old Abdul Arbaz and 41-year-Maulavi Mushfique Ahmad. The duo was arrested on August 3 this year. Both Arbaz and Ahmad are residents of Amaravati.

The NIA informed that the duo went to a biriyani party, shortly after killing Umesh Kolhe, and how the incident was a reflection of their conduct. The matter was heard by Special Judge A K Lahoti, who remanded the two men to NIA custody until August 12, 2022.

The National Investigation Agency had sought 15 days of custody for the two accused and informed the court that the duo had been harbouring the other accused. One Irfan Shaikh, an accused in the Umesh Kolhe murder case, had dialled Maulvi Mushfique Ahmad after killing the Hindu pharmacist.

The NIA used this information to argue that all of them were part of the conspiracy. Reportedly, Abdul Arbaaz kept a vigil on the crime scene while Maulvi Ahmad provided logistical support to the killers. Arbaaz worked as a driver for a voluntary organisation named Rahbar Helpline run by accused Irfan.

While defending the two men, advocate Ali Kaashif Khan claimed that it was not established that they were involved in harbouring terrorists and thus could not be accused under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. “At most they could be booked under the Indian Penal Code section relating to harbouring an offender,” he argued.

On 3rd August 2022, the National Investigation Agency arrested two more accused in connection with the murder of Umesh Kolhe in Amravati, Maharashtra. The number of accused arrested so far in the case has reached nine.

Irfan Khan, the main culprit in the case, was apprehended in Nagpur. The other arrested accused include Irfan Khan (age 35), Yusuf Khan (age 44), Muddsir Ahmad (age 22), Shahrukh Pathan (age 25), Abdul Thoufique (age 24) Shoaib Khan (age 22), and Atib Rashid (age 22).

Yusuf Khan is a veterinary doctor and was a friend of the deceased Umesh Kolhe. Other accused are daily wage workers. The investigation into Umesh Kohle’s murder began in Police Station City Kotvali in Amaravati, Maharashtra.

Umesh Kolhe’s friend Yusuf Khan had spotted Kolhe’s WhatsApp message supporting Nupur Sharma, and had circulated it in other WhatsApp groups. He had also informed about it to Sheikh Irfan Khan, who runs an NGO. Irfan Khan then plotted the murder, and gave the responsibility of recce to Maulana Mudassir Ahmed alias Sonu Raza Sheikh Ibrahim. After that, Irfan Khan engaged four daily wage workers Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Taufiq, Shoaib Khan and Atib Rashid, who had worked for his NGO earlier, for the execution of the plan.

On the night of June 21, Shoaib stabbed Umesh Kolhe in his neck. Initially, the police had said that this was a robbery gone wrong, but after there was a change in the government in Maharashtra, the police admitted that Kohle was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma.

On July 2 this year, the NIA re-registered the case and took over the investigation. The case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Sections 16, 18, and 20 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 34, 153 (A), 153 (B), 120 (B), and 302.

A spate of killing have followed the comments by ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Not just Umesh Kohle, a Hindu tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, was also brutally beheaded by Muslim assailants for the support he extended to Sharma. The Hindu tailor was beheaded in Udaipur on 28th June 2022 by two Islamists Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad. Following the murder of Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur on June 28, his killers Mohammed Riyaz Akhtar and Mohammed Gos escaped the scene on a bike with number 2611.  26-11 is the date of the Mumbai Terror Attack. The killers were nabbed by the Police 130 KM away from Udaipur at Bhim Highway. This case is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Justice Krishna Bhat drops truth bombs in farewell speech: Entitlement of some Judges and how independence of Judiciary is not really under threat

OpIndia Staff
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Justice Krishna Bhat drops truth bombs in farewell speech: Entitlement of some Judges and how independence of Judiciary is not really under threat

On Thursday (August 4), Justice Krishna Bhat of the Karnataka High Court revealed how some judges feel entitled by virtue of being a part of the higher Judiciary, reported Live Law. He recounted, “I have known of an instance of High Court Judge addressing a letter to the Chief Justice of High Court calling for action against a District Judge all because he was not received at the airport personally by him and it is part of the record.”

Justice Krishna Bhat made the revelation in a speech during his farewell event, organised by the Karnataka High Court. He emphasised that such vanities by individual Judges make them unfit to hold any public position.

The Honourable Judge also rubbished claims that the Independence of the Judiciary was under threat in India. “There cannot be any threat to the independence of the judiciary. There is a vague and lingering view that there is less threat to the independence of judiciary written or oral from without than within; in the manner petitions, complaints, calculated branding is handled internally,” he pointed out.

Justice Krishna Bhat pointed out that the onus of keeping the Judiciary independent lay on individual Judges. “To my mind, threat to ‘Independence of Judiciary’ is a myth. Independence of Judiciary is realised by an individual Judge remaining independent,” he emphasised.

Justice Bhat worked as a lawyer at District courts in Mangalore before starting his practice at the High Court of Karnataka in July 1988. He was directly appointed as a District and Sessions Judge in 1998 and worked in district courts of Bidar, Raichur, Tumkur, Belgaum etc.

He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court in 2020 and became a permanent Judge in September 2021.

‘OIC remarks on Jammu and Kashmir reeks of bigotry’: External Affairs Ministry reacts to OIC statement on abrogation of articles 370 and 35A

OpIndia Staff
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‘OIC remarks on Jammu and Kashmir reeks of bigotry’: External Affairs Ministry reacts to OIC statement on abrogation of articles 370 and 35A

On 5th august 2022, the ministry of external affairs said that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is driven by a communal agenda that is being pursued through terrorism. India’s external affairs ministry also asserted that OIC general secretariat’s recent press release on Jammu and Kashmir reeks of bigotry.

In response to media queries regarding OIC general secretariat’s recent statement on Jammu & Kashmir, the official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “The statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir today reeks of bigotry. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India. As a result of long-awaited changes three years ago, it today reaps the benefits of socio-economic growth and development.”

He further said, “The OIC General Secretariat, however, continues to issue statements on Jammu and Kashmir at the behest of a serial violator of human rights and notorious promoter of cross-border, regional, and international terrorism. Such statements only expose the OIC as an organization devoted to a communal agenda being pursued through terrorism.”

It is notable that 5th August 2022 marked the third anniversary of the abrogation of articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution by the Indian government. These articles had provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir keeping it isolated from the rest of India. OIC general secretariat issued a press release on this occasion.

In this press release, the OIC general secretariat said, “August 5, 2022, marks the third anniversary of the illegal and unilateral actions taken in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which were followed by additional unlawful measures including illegal demographic changes. Such illegal actions can neither alter the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir nor prejudice the legitimate right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.”

It further said, “Recalling the resolutions of the Islamic Summit and Council of Foreign Ministers on Jammu and Kashmir, the General Secretariat reaffirms the OIC’s solidarity with the Kashmiri people in the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination. It calls for the respect of their fundamental freedoms and basic human rights and for the reversal of all illegal and unilateral measures taken on or after 5 August 2019.”

The press released by the OIC general secretariat added, “The General Secretariat reiterates its call on the international community to take concrete steps for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”

Supreme Court refuses to stop construction of Mumbai Metro car shed at Aarey after MMRCL said no trees being cut, only trimmed

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court refuses to stop construction of Mumbai Metro car shed at Aarey after MMRCL said no trees being cut, only trimmed

The Supreme Court of India today refused to stop the ongoing construction of the metro shed for line three of the Mumbai Metro after a fresh plea was filed against it. The apex court accepted the affidavit of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd saying that no trees are being cut for the construction, and refused to pass any interim order.

The bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Aniruddha Bose was hearing a batch of petitions filed by activists alleging that MMRCL has resumed cutting trees violating the Supreme Court order in 2019 stopping any further cutting of trees. It is notable that after the Eknath Shinde govt took over in Maharashtra, the govt had decided to go ahead with the car shed at Aarey Milk Colony, which was cancelled by the earlier Uddhav Thackeray govt.

As the MMRCA had started work at the site immediately after getting go-ahead from the govt, fresh pleas were filed against the project by activists after Shiv Sena started to hold protests against it. The petitions had alleged that trees were being cut to clear the site for the car shed.

Rejecting the allegations that the cutting of trees has resumed, MMRCA told the court that only branches of trees were trimmed on the approach road as they were obstructing vehicles. The affidavit by MMRCL also added that only weeds and bushes on the ground were cleared, and no trees were cut.

Appearing for Mumbai Metro, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the status quo ordered by the court in 2019 has been maintained. He said that the petitioners have submitted photographs of different locations. “Only weeds and bushes on the ground were cleared. There is an approach road, there were branches that required trimming for vehicles to pass through, and trimming took place. No trees were cut. They have shown photographs of some other areas”, Mehta said.

Accepting the affidavit saying that trees are not being cut, the court said that no specific interim directions are needed to be issued. The bench also said that no trees will be cut till the next hearing. “Suffice it to say that as stated by the concerned respondent, no trees have been cut since the order dated November 7, 2019 and shall not be cut till the next date of hearing”, the bench said in the order.

It is notable that the MMRCA had already issued a clarification saying that they were only trimming/pruning low-lying branches of trees to facilitate the movement of trailers carrying Metro 3 coaches. They had also informed that necessary permissions from competent authorities for pruning trees were already obtained.

The corporation has also informed that out of the allotted 30 Hectares of land at Aarey, 5 Ha has been preserved as a green patch. Depot work is happening in the remaining 25 Ha land by following Govt orders and in adherence to court orders, MMRCL had said.

Some coaches have already reached the site, and trials have already started with them at a 3 km stretch from the Aarey site to Marol Naka Metro station.

‘Congress chose August 5 to protest and wear black clothes to subtly promote appeasement politics’: Amit Shah

OpIndia Staff
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‘Congress chose August 5 to protest and wear black clothes to subtly promote appeasement politics’: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has alleged that the Congress party chose August 5 for its so-called nationwide protests because it wanted to promote its appeasement politics through the selection of this day and clothes. He also mentioned that August 5 was chosen for protests because the foundation of Shri Ram Janambhoomi was laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day in 2020.

Amit Shah said, “Congress chose this day for protest and wore black clothes because they want to give a subtle message to further promote their appeasement politics because on this day itself PM Modi laid the foundation of Ram Janambhoomi.”

He added, “Congress should be responsible & must co-operate as per the law. The matter is going on the basis of complaints that have been filed. As far as ED is concerned, everybody should respect the law and order situation in the country.”

Amit Shah added that the politics of appeasement has brought nothing to the country. He said that appeasement politics has rather caused great damage to the nation and that everyone should stay away from such politics.

Congress is criticized by many other social media users for organizing its protests on 5th August 2022, because the date holds a separate significance in India’s history. It was on 5th August 2019 that the government of India abrogated Article 370 which granted a separate status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The government of India reorganized the state into two union territories viz. Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

A Twitter user Pramod Kumar Singh tweeted, “5th August is a historic date in Independent India. PM Narendra Modi Govt removed Article 370 on 5/8/2019 & laid the foundation stone of Ram Mandir on 5/8/2020. To choose this day as black day by Congress to protest is baffling.”

It is notable that on 5th August 2022, Congress called for a nationwide protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government in the centre. Price rise and unemployment were the issues cited as reasons for the protest march that was organized in the national capital. However, the banners raised in this march also read GST and veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram added the Agnipath Scheme as well.

Several Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were detained by the Delhi police for violating section 144 imposed in the national capital. Congress MPs and workers wore black clothes as a symbol of protests.

Harassment of Kanwariyas continues: After hurling contaminated water, Muslim villagers in Bareilly block Kanwar Yatra

OpIndia Staff
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Harassment of Kanwariyas continues: After hurling contaminated water, Muslim villagers in Bareilly block Kanwar Yatra

Days after Uttar Pradesh Police arrested 6 people, including Gram Pradhan Shakina from Paragwa, Bareilly for throwing contaminated water and pelting stones at the Kanwariyas, local Muslims residing in the Dunka village in the Shergarh Block in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly District have stopped Kanwariyas from entering the area.

Dunka is reportedly a Muslim-dominated village. However, the Kanwariyas have travelled along this neighbourhood’s Dunki road for a number of years since it is the shortest route to reach Haridwar via Chakrod Village, which is situated in the Kalapipal Tehsil of the Shajapur District in Madhya Pradesh. Reportedly, every year, thousands of Kanwariya have followed this particular route to reach Haridwar during the auspicious month of ‘Sawan’ (Shravan), to fetch the holy water of the river Ganga and offer it to God Shiva at temples back home. 

A report by Live Hindustan, however, read that the Dunka Muslims have this year, opposed the idea of the Kanwar Yatra procession passing through the aforementioned route. Instead, they have insisted that the Kanwariyas go to Haridwar by another route, which is said to be much longer than this route.

While the Muslim villagers in Dunka have been creating a ruckus and threatened to block the Kanwar Yatra procession from passing through the village, the Kanwariyas have reportedly been insistent on following the same route to reach Haridwar. Reportedly, on Thursday, the Kanwariyas reached the Muslim settlement of Dunka with a DJ affixed on a tractor-trolley. They insisted on passing through a Muslim locality.

When the SDM and Circle Officer RK Mishra received the information, they hurried to the area to prevent any untoward incidents. The officials explained to the Kanwariyas to go through the route, reportedly the longer one, fixed by the administration.

According to the police, after a clash broke out between members of the two communities in 2014 over the Kanwar Yatra route, the administration had assigned the Kanwariyas a particular path that did not entail traversing the Dunki road. The police asked the Kanwariyas to abide by the decision taken at that time and walk the designated path. The pilgrims responded by saying that the agreement had been reached between the Dunka residents and that the Dunki people were not a part of it.

The Kanwariyas further warned the police that they would keep waiting on the Dunki road and would not proceed with the procession if they were made to travel the longer route. The police, meanwhile, deployed barricades along the route and deployed police contingents to prevent further escalation.

Speaking about the issue, SDM Ved Prakash Mishra said that the kanwariyas of Dunki are adamant about passing through the Muslim neighbourhood of Dunka. Four days ago, the police had tried to convince the Kanwariyas, but they did not pay heed. In fact, on Thursday, they reached Dunka village and insisted to go through the Muslim settlement. In the event that the kanwariyas persist in passing through Dunka village, the police will take severe measures. If they, in case, change their mind and take the prescribed route, the police will give them full security, said Mishra.

Notably, in most cases, the Kanwariyas trek the entire route barefoot, without even eating or drinking anything. In such a case, when there is a shorter way available, forcing them to take the longer route is torturous.

However, attacks and harassment on Kanwariyas are something which is not new. Like every year, this year too there have been multiple instances where the Yatra has faced hateful attacks.

Hateful attacks on Kanwariyas

On July 30, OpIndia reported how villagers led by the Gram Pradhan Shakina and her father-in-law Ishtiaq threw contaminated water on the Kanwariyas while they were passing through the village. The villagers also pelted stones at the pilgrims.

On July 25, a group of Muslim women stopped Kanwariyas from entering Ibrahimpur in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district. They put up cot beds on the road and demanded that the pilgrims should return and follow the prescribed route.

Another incident happened in Meerut on July 22, where Islamists spat on Kanwariyas. Following the incident, Kanwariyas jammed the road and demanded action by the Police. Reports suggest that the pilgrims were sitting on the side of the road to rest for a while. Two people came on a bike and tried to spit on them. After that, one of them got off the bike and spat on the Kanwariyas.

On July 19, someone threw a piece of meat on Kanwar Yatra in Seelampur, Delhi. The incident occurred in the evening, following which the pilgrims doing Kanwar Yatra jammed the roads for an hour. While these Kanwars, who had walked for over seven days to reach Delhi, were welcomed with flowers at other locations, in Delhi, they had to face people throwing meat at them.

Mumbai: Hindu woman forcefully evicted for filing FIR against local Muslim hooligans returns to her ancestral home

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: Hindu woman forcefully evicted for filing FIR against local Muslim hooligans returns to her ancestral home

Sarika Jogadia, a Hindu woman and a resident of Mumbai’s Muslim-majority Bhendi Bazaar, returned to her house after the BMC had sealed it, allegedly under the pressure of a local Muslim MLA, for standing up against Muslim ruffians who harassed her and tried to encroach upon her house.

The issue came into the limelight earlier last week after Sarika Jogadia took to Twitter to share her ordeal, sparking outrage among social media users and Hindu activists. In a heart-wrenching video, Jogadia expressed her anguish, describing how local Muslim hoodlums, allegedly with the help of Congress MLA Amin Patel, pressurised the BMC to seal her ancestral home after she had dared to file an FIR against them.

Jogadia said she had filed an FIR at JJ Police station against the Muslim hooligans because they continuously harassed her, slaughtered goats in front of her house, installed loudspeakers outside her residence, and stopped her from singing Hindu religious hymns. However, instead of acting against the Muslim hoodlums, the BMC, allegedly under the pressure of Congress MLA Amin Patel, got the police to evict her and her family from their ancestral home and seal it.

‘I am being punished for being a Hindu, local Muslims harassed me, slaughtered goats in front of my house entrance’: Sarika Jogadia

In the viral video, Sarika lamented, “I was today punished for being a Hindu because where I stay is a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood. They used to harass me; they tried capturing my house, slaughtered goats at my house’s entrance, installed loudspeakers outside my residence, and did not allow us to do bhajan-kirtan.”

She also added that when she decided to act against them and file an FIR with the police, they came to her house and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not take her FIR back. “They threatened me that they would get the house vacated if I didn’t take my FIR back. They said they had the support of local MLA Amin Patel, whom they said would not let their votes go away by supporting me. They warned me that they would evict me from my house,” she said in the video released on social media. 

“And then, they pressurised the BMC with the help of the MLA and got the police to seal my house. I am dispossessed from my ancestral home, which my grandfather got in 1944. For over a hundred years, our family stayed here, but the local Muslim hooligans got it sealed, and now we have to leave the house,” Sarika said while bemoaning her predicament.

After being forcibly evicted from her house, Sarika spoke to the media where she made shocking allegations against the police. “Police played a big part in evicting me out of my house. All my complaints against the family of Nadeem Malik, Kasim Malik, had gone unheeded. The police took no action against them. Instead, they sealed my house when I filed a complaint against the local Muslim hooligans,” she said while interacting with the press.

“I felt like I was living in Pakistan. Are Hindus not allowed to live in Muslim-dominated regions? I was continuously threatened by them. If I have to say in clear terms, the minority people or should I say Muslims, tortured me, stopped me from playing bhajan-kirtan, and forced us to comply with their rules and regulations,” she added.

Netizens and Hindu activists on Social Media take cognisance of Sarika’s plight and help her return to her ancestral home

Sarika’s video instantly went viral, drawing sharp reactions from a raft of concerned citizens and Hindu activists over the plight of a Hindu woman in a Muslim-majority neighbourhood, and the complicity of the elected representatives in perpetuating the harassment. 

Many Hindu activists shared the video of Sarika’s plight and promised to extend help in whichever manner possible. Radharamn Das, Vice President Spokesperson for ISKCON, shared Sarika’s video on Twitter, helping it reach a wider audience.

Ramesh Solanki, a Hindu activist and a former Shiv Sena member, took cognisance of the video going viral on the internet and pledged to help Sarika get her house back.

Days later, Sarika returned to her house after the intervention of BJP leaders. On 2 August 2022, Solanki took to Twitter to thank BJP Mumbai President Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Nitesh Rane, VHP spokesperson Shriraj Nair, Radharamn Das, and others for standing up in support of Sarika Jogadia and helping her return to her home.

Delhi: Consulate General of Montenegro complains about poor water supply, LG VK Saxena asks CM Arvind Kejriwal to act

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Consulate General of Montenegro complains about poor water supply, LG VK Saxena asks CM Arvind Kejriwal to act

After a letter exposing the conflict between two departments of the Delhi government went viral, Delhi Jal Board is the next entity of the Delhi government to receive serious complaints. The Consulate of Montenegro has written to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena complaining about the poor quality of water supply to his office by the Delhi Jal Board. After receiving the complaint, LG VK Saxena asked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to look into this matter.

In his letter to the LG, Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Montenegro Dr. Janice Darbari wrote, “I have a humble request as the water supply to the Consulate has not been coming for two days. The Delhi Jal Board has said that they will send the water tanker but no action is taken. The water supply is low pressure and dirty. Kindly resolve the matter as it disrupts the working of the diplomatic mission in India.”

The letter was shared by the official Twitter handle of the LG of Delhi. Tagging the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the tweet, LG Vinai Kumar Saxena wrote, “Received a complaint from Consulate of Montenegro regarding non-supply of water, unavailability of tankers & dirty water at low pressure by DJB. Directed CS to immediately resolve the issue. Advised CM Arvind Kejriwal Ji to address such matters that affect India’s image globally.”

Recently, the Delhi government’s education department wrote to the public works division of the capital state complaining about the poor quality of the construction and maintenance work at various schools in Delhi. Now, the Consulate of Montenegro has complained about the Delhi Jal Board’s water supply services adding to the worries of the Delhi government which is already facing criticism for PWD minister Satyendra Jain being in jail in connection with a money laundering case.

Srinagar Police deny reports that Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are under house arrest, request media not to spread fake news

OpIndia Staff
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Srinagar Police deny reports that Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are under house arrest, request media not to spread fake news

Jammu and Kashmir Police have refuted reports that senior leaders of National Conference and PDP have been put under house arrest in Srinagar. Calling the reports baseless, Srinagar police said that fake news going around that some National Conference and PDP leaders have been placed under house arrest on Gupkar Road in Srinagar. The police were responding to claims that NC leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti were put under house arrest.

The police however added that additional security forces have been deployed at certain places in the area following intelligence inputs of a terror attack.

The Srinagar Police added that Mehbooba Mufti visited her party headquarters around noon time and Dr Farooq Abdullah visited the Hazratbal shrine and his friend in the Shalimar area in the afternoon, showing that they were free to move around and were not under arrest. The police requested the media to verify news from authorities before circulating it.

The police also posted photos of the gates of residences of Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar, which showed that there was no police presence blocking the gates.

The clarification by Srinagar Police came after National Conference had claimed that Dr Farooq Abdullah has been placed under house arrest. It is notable that his residence is located on the Gupkar Road in the city.

The party had tweeted from its official handle that Dr Abdullah was put under house arrest after returning from Nawai-Subha where he attended a meeting. The party is protesting today on the occasion of the third anniversary of the withdrawal of article 370 that had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah said in the meeting, “We will peacefully fight for our rights that were illegally, unconstitutionally and undemocratically snatched from us on August 5, 2019”.

Similarly, several media reports earlier today had claimed that Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been put under house arrest by the police in view of the protests against the revocation of article 370.

‘Pelosi’s democracy is like a robe with lice crawling all over it’: China suspends high-level military dialogues with USA, announces other ‘countermeasures’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Pelosi’s democracy is like a robe with lice crawling all over it’: China suspends high-level military dialogues with USA, announces other ‘countermeasures’

Days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China suspended cooperation with the United States in a variety of areas, including high-level military dialogues and climate negotiations on Friday. Announcing the new ‘countermeasures’, the Chinese Foreign Minister stated that Nancy Pelosi had disregarded the country’s concern and insisted on visiting Taiwan.

According to the reports, China’s foreign ministry said that it was halting its collaboration with the United States on the prevention of transnational crime and drug trafficking as well as on returning illegal immigrants along with eight other particular steps. China also called off a scheduled bilateral discussion on a maritime military security mechanism through a statement that was issued just after Pelosi left Japan on the last leg of her Asian visit.

Sanctions were also announced by China against Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family members. The PRC also called her actions ‘vicious and provocative’. Reports mention that this is after the White House officially summoned Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang to criticize intensifying activities against Taiwan and to underscore that the US does not seek a regional conflict.

The Chinese foreign ministry also called Pelosi’s visit a stunt for personal ambitions. ‘A robe with lice crawling all over it’, they termed the ‘democracy’ that Pelosi offers.

Furthermore, the Chinese Ministry August 5 stated that Pelosi’s visit significantly interfered with Chinese domestic affairs, undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, violated the one-China principle, and endangered peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The tour by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi later this week was the first by a US House Speaker to self-ruled Taiwan in 25 years after Newt Gingrich visited in April 1997. Her visit also marked her first travel to Taiwan in 22 years. Following the visit, China conducted massive military exercises and fired numerous ballistic missiles toward the northeast and southwest waters of Taiwan heightening regional tensions with Taiwan and Japan.

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