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‘No consideration to levy charges on UPI services’: Clarifies Finance Ministry, says cost of service providers will be recovered through other means

OpIndia Staff
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‘No consideration to levy charges on UPI services’: Clarifies Finance Ministry, says cost of service providers will be recovered through other means

The Union Finance Ministry has said that there is no proposal to levy charges on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. The clarification from the ministry came after media reports had emerged claiming that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has floated a proposal to impose transaction costs on UPI services to recover the cost incurred on maintaining the UPI system.

“UPI is a digital public good with immense convenience for the public & productivity gains for the economy. There is no consideration in Govt to levy any charges for UPI services,” the finance ministry announced on Twitter.

The ministry also added that the concerns of the service providers on recovering the cost of running the UPI system will have to be met through other means. The ministry added that the govt had provided such financial support to the digital payment ecosystem last year and similar measures have been announced this year also, to encourage further adoption of Digital Payments and promotion of payment platforms that are economical and user-friendly.

The finance ministry’s clarification came after media reports claimed that the RBI had made the proposal to impose a cost on UPI usage in a paper “Discussion Paper on Charges in Payment System,” where the central bank had reportedly suggested introducing usage charges for UPI transactions. The objective of the RBI paper was to assess the possibility of recovering the cost of building and running the UPI infrastructure.

The paper reportedly said that as UPI fund transfers are same as fund transfers made through IMPS (Immediate Payment Service), the UPI should also attract same service charge as IMPS. It is notable that UPI uses the same IMPS system for instant fund transfer from one bank account to another, and both systems are run by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

Through the paper, RBI had sought feedback from stakeholders on the possibility of imposing a charge on UPI, and whether it should be a flat charge or a ‘tiered’ charge based on transaction value. However, RBI had clarified that it has not taken any decision on the matter, and had merely initiated a discussion on it.

The discussion paper dealt with the overall payment networks in India, with an objective to structure and streamline the framework of charges for different payment services like National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), IMPS, UPI and other payment instruments like debit cards, credit cards and prepaid payment instruments.

RBI had said that while there are many intermediaries in the payments transaction chain, consumers generally complain about high and non-transparent charges. The discussion paper had said, “Charges for payment services should be reasonable and competitively determined for users while also providing an optimal revenue stream for the intermediaries. To ensure this balance, it was considered useful to carry out a comprehensive review of the various charges levied in the payment systems by highlighting different dimensions and seeking stakeholder feedback.”

Therefore, the RBI discussion paper didn’t said that the central bank is imposing service charges on UPI transactions, it was only a topic of discussion for overall payment networks in India and their associated charges. However, several media reports published misleading reports claiming that RBI is considering imposing the charge.

This divided social media users into two groups, some people supported the move saying that nothing should be free and the banks and service providers need to recover the cost of running the system, the majority of people opposed it. They said that UPI has acted as a primary force in making India a front-runner in the digital economy. They also argued that any service charge that is bound to discourage people from using UPI and motivate them to use cash instead goes against the objective of the Modi govt to make the Indian economy cashless.

However, for now, the finance ministry had put all such speculations to rest as it has clarified that there is no proposal to impose charges on UPI transactions.

Russia-Ukraine war: Know who is ‘Putin’s brain’ Alexander Dugin and his daughter Darya Dugina who was killed in a car explosion

Dibakar Dutta
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Russia-Ukraine war: Know who is ‘Putin’s brain’ Alexander Dugin and his daughter Darya Dugina who was killed in a car explosion

On Saturday (August 20) night, a 30-year-old political scientist Darya Dugina was killed in a massive explosion near Bolshiye Vyazemy village, located on the outskirts of Moscow.

As per reports, she was seated in a Toyota Land Cruiser at around 9:00 pm (local time) when an explosive device, planted in the SUV, went off. The car immediately caught fire and exploded in flames.

Darya Dugina was the daughter of Russian political commentator and Putin’s aide, Alexander Dugin. It is speculated that the intended target was the deceased’s father. Nonetheless, the investigators have opened a murder case and are now probing all aspects.

A family friend of Darya Dugina, Andrey Krasnov, informed that the car belonged to Alexander Dugin. He stated the father-daughter duo were supposed to travel together but Alexander Dugin changed plans at the last minute.

He further added, “This was the father’s vehicle. Darya was driving another car but she took his car today, while Alexander went in a different way. He returned, he was at the site of the tragedy. As far as I understand, Alexander or probably they together were the target.”

While pro-Kremlin officials have pinned the blame on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s senior advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has dismissed all charges. “Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with this, because we are not a criminal state like Russia, or a terrorist one at that,” he remarked.

Alexander Dugin: The Philosophical influence behind Russian invasions

Alexander Dugin, the father of deceased Darya Dugina, was dubbed as ‘Putin’s brain’ and the ‘philosophical influence’ behind the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014.

He has also been regarded as the de-facto brain behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Dugin served as the former Chief Editor of Tsargrad TV and currently holds no formal position within the Russian government.

Described as a hyper-nationalist, he has called for the unification of all Russian Speaking territories under one ‘new Russian Empire.’ Dugin believes that the ongoing war is a special military operation, which is meant to demilitarise Ukraine.

Screengrab of the news report by Foreign Affairs

He was sanctioned in 2015 by the United States for allegedly being “complicit in policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, or sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

Alexander Dugin was reportedly involved in recruiting insurgents in Donetsk during his tenure as the Eurasian Youth Union leader. He also controls Russian nationalist news media, Geopolitika. His influence in the Russian government has been the subject of immense speculation.

“For anyone who has read Dugin, the echoes of his thought in Putin’s recent speeches about Russia’s supposedly proper place in the world have been unmistakable, and uncanny,” read a report in Washington Post.

“Reading Dugin’s work broadly, his goals are straightforward: the restoration of a powerful, authoritarian Russian state and the internal dissolution of Russia’s enemies, particularly the liberal West,” the article further added.

Alexander Dugin is the author of “The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia,” wherein he outlined ways on how to deal with the West.

Darya Dugina: Advocate of Eurasian hegemony over Western globalism

In an interview with Geopolitika in March this year, Darya Dugina described herself as an expert in international relations and a political observer of the International Eurasianist Movement. She also claimed to have appeared on Pakistani and Indian TV channels as a European geopolitical analyst.

When quizzed about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the political scientist dubbed it as a ‘clash of globalist and Eurasian civilisation.’ She had said, “The West’s unanimous support for Ukraine in 2022, the supply of weapons on an unthinkable scale: it all feels like agony. The agony of a globalist regime that is beginning to lose ground to multipolarism.”

Darya Dugina squarely blamed the United States for provoking the entire conflict and lamented how most of Europe had taken sides instead of being neutral. She also alleged that Western sanctions have not affected the Russian economy and had instead hit European nations hard.

Screengrab of the article in Geopolitika

She further added that instead of being isolated, Russia has emerged as a pioneer of ‘multipolar world order.’ Dugina emphasised, “As for the reaction of the Russians, the overwhelming majority supports the special military operation (Ukraine invasion).”

She pointed out, “In their eyes, it is an understandable defence of Russia’s geopolitical interests and a fight against Russophobia, because a regime has been formed in Kiev that denies Russians the right to self-determination (language, culture, identity) and existence.

While speaking about her lineage, Darya Dugina said, “The fact that we are under sanctions by the US, Canada, Australia and the UK is also a symbol that we Dugin are on the path of truth in the fight against globalism. Therefore, I would say it is an honour to be born into such a family.”

Screengrab of the press release by the U.S. Department Of The Treasury

In a press release on March 3, 2022, the US Department of The Treasury accused the political scientist of spreading disinformation against the West. It claimed that Dugina was the Chief Editor of the United World International (UWI) website.

“In 2022, UWI suggested that Ukraine would “perish” if it is admitted to NATO…UWI’s chief editor, Darya Aleksandrovna Dugina (Dugina), sought contributors to write articles on UWI,” it stated.

“Dugina is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13661, E.O. 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13848, for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, UWI,” the press release emphasised.

Darya Dugina was thus sanctioned by both the US and UK , with the latter labelling her as a “high-profile contributor of disinformation” about Russian-Ukraine war.

Bihar: Stones pelted at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s convoy, the CM was not present in the cavalcade

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Stones pelted at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s convoy, the CM was not present in the cavalcade

In Patna, Bihar, stones were pelted at the convoy of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The CM was not present in the convoy at the time of the incident. The incident took place on Sunday, 21st August 2022. In the stone pelting, some vehicles suffered minor damage as the glass of the vehicles got broken.

In the video of the incident which surfaced online, an angry mob can be seen pelting stones at the CM’s convoy. The damaged glass of some vehicles is also visible in the video.

The incident took place in Sohgi village of Gaurichak police station in Patna district when the CM’s convoy was on the way to Gaya. As per reports, people were protesting over the kidnap and murder of a young man when the CM’s convoy passed through there. The angry mob targeted the convoy to vent out their anger over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Nitish Kumar is reaching Gaya via a helicopter so he was not a part of it. The convoy only had the security officials who are a part of the CM’s security team and will be accompanying him in Gaya during his visit.

Nitish Kumar is going to Gaya on Monday to hold a meeting on the drought situation there and inspect a dam being built in Gaya.

‘A Food Walk with Dr. S Jaishankar’: External Affairs minister promotes ‘Food Tourism’ of Bengaluru

OpIndia Staff
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‘A Food Walk with Dr. S Jaishankar’: External Affairs minister promotes ‘Food Tourism’ of Bengaluru

On August 20, food blogger Kripal Amanna published a Food Walk video on his YouTube channel featuring none other than Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar. The video was from the minister’s Bengaluru visit on August 12, and he had shared his experience on his Twitter account that day.

The minister had written, “Toured Bengaluru’s famous V V Puram food street with popular food blogger Kripal Amanna. A real treat for the senses and a storehouse of the city’s culinary history. And a special opportunity to celebrate #HarGharTiranga.”

VV Puran food street that is also known as ‘Thindi Beedi’, is one of the most popular destinations for street food lovers in Bengaluru. Dr S Jaishankar was scheduled to visit the food street for a small food walk, and popular food blogger Kripal Amanna joined him to get the minister to taste the best dishes and tell a few stories behind the dishes, food street, and the food joints.

During the food walk, Kripal suggested different food items to the minister and explained the cultural history of the place as well as the food. “An absolute honour to spend an evening with our esteemed External Affairs Minister Shri Dr S Jaishankar, discussing most things food. Grateful to the universe that conspired to make this happen,” wrote Kripal.

Minister for Higher Education, IT & BT, Science & Technology, Karnataka, Dr Ashwathnarayan CN, accompanied Dr S Jaishankar on the food walk. He wrote, “Good food and interesting conversation are eternal ways that can create memorable moments! Had a great time with the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar avaru, and Food Blogger Kripal Amanna avaru at the famous VV Puram Food Street, Bengaluru.”

During the food walk, union minister Dr Jaishankar enjoyed several dishes, including Holige, Gudbud, Avacado milkshake, dry fruit milkshake, ice creams, and more. He also distributed the national flags to the shop owners as part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ program.

Importance of food tourism and how a minister’s visit can make a difference

During the food walk, Dr Jaishankar talked about how tourism is one of the highest revenue generation sections across the globe. It is essential to promote such places where the tourists can find local delicacies during their visit to the cities. Not only foreign tourists but Indian tourists should also be aware of the places to find local delicacies.

It is a well-known fact that the Indian food scene is beyond anyone’s imagination, but it lacks the support and promotion that it deserves. It is next to impossible for a tourist to know about the local food without proper promotions. Food bloggers like Kripal are doing an amazing job in promoting authentic local food.

However, when a union minister pays a visit to a local food street and explores the delicacies while learning about the history and culture of the food, it makes a lot of difference and helps in promoting local entrepreneurs in the food industry.

One of the interesting aspects of this particular food walk was that Kripal mentioned that the butter used by the cooks on the street was not bought from the market but procured from nearby villages. The minister mentioned he could feel the difference in the taste. When someone eats food from these shops, they are not only supporting local food stall owners but also the local dairies, farmers, and other entrepreneurs involved in providing raw material for the food preparations. It makes a lot of impact on the local economy.

Pakistan: Sikhs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa protest as Islamists forcibly convert a female Sikh teacher and perform her nikaah

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Sikhs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa protest as Islamists forcibly convert a female Sikh teacher and perform her nikaah

In another incident of flouting human rights in Pakistan, a female Sikh teacher was forcibly converted by Islamists in Peer Baba of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan on Saturday 20th August 2022. The Sikhs in the KPK province are protesting against this forced conversion. A video of the protests appeared on Twitter on Sunday, 21st August 2022, in which Sikhs can be seen protesting and raising various slogans outside a police station in Pakistan.

According to a report by Aaj Tak, a young female teacher from the Sikh community was allegedly kidnapped on Saturday, and on the next day, her family was informed that the young girl is now married to a Muslim person. There is deep resentment in the Sikh community due to this incident.

Dina Kaur, a Sikh teacher was kidnapped on Saturday. On Sunday, her family members knew about the forced marriage and subsequent conversion. The family reached the police station where nobody cared to register their complaint. According to the family members, the local police have not registered any FIR and have asked the Sikhs to be silent on this issue.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa has expressed concern over this incident. Tagging the government of Pakistan in his tweet, Sirsa said, “How can a family silently watch its daughters being forcibly converted and emotionally exploited? This is against basic human rights and we stand in support of the Sikh brothers of Pakistan. I urge India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Ji to intervene in this matter.”

He added, “I urge the External Affairs Minister to hold talks on the issue of minority Sikhs in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office is also not paying attention to this. Our earlier tweets on the safety of Sikhs in Pakistan have been ignored.”

Persecution of Sikhs in Pakistan

Earlier in May 2022, two Sikhs were killed in Peshawar, Pakistan. In that case, a strong protest was lodged by India. At that time, the spokesperson of the Indian Government said, “We have seen reports of the brutal killing of two Sikh traders by unidentified armed men in Peshawar. Sadly, this is not the first incident. Even before this, there have been attacks on Sikhs, a minority community in Pakistan.” 

Actress Kangana Ranaut to sue Filmfare Awards for nominating her, says ‘It is beneath my dignity, work ethics, and value system’

OpIndia Staff
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Actress Kangana Ranaut to sue Filmfare Awards for nominating her, says ‘It is beneath my dignity, work ethics, and value system’

On August 21, actress Kangana Ranaut shared that she is planning to sue Filmfare Awards after they nominated her for an award. Ranaut posted the information on her social media accounts.

Ranaut wrote, “I have banned unethical, corrupt and totally unfair practices like Filmfare since 2014, but since I have been getting many calls from them for attending their award function this year as they want to give me award for Thalaivii. I am shocked to know that they are still nominating me. It is beneath my dignity, work ethics, and value system to encourage such corrupt practices in any way, that is why I have decided to sue Filmfare thanks.”

Notably, Kangana Ranaut has been nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role category for her role as former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha in the film Thalaivii. Other actresses who have been nominated are Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon, Parineeti Chopra, Taapsee Pannu, and Vidya Balan. Raj Arjun is the second name from the film to get nominated for the awards in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Kangana has won five Filmfare Awards in her career, starting with the best debut (female) award for her first film Gangster.

This is not the first time that the four-time National Film Award winner Ranaut has called to boycott any awards. Recently, she called for a Boycott of Oscars and Emmys as they did not pay In Memorium tributes to Lata Mangeshkar.

Ranaut’s recent release Dhaakad did not work well at the box office. Her directorial debut, Emergency, in which she will be playing the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is set to release in 2023.

Government of India refutes media reports claiming India planning to import wheat, says the country has sufficient stock

OpIndia Staff
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Government of India refutes media reports claiming India planning to import wheat, says the country has sufficient stock

The central government has denied media claims that India may import wheat in the coming days due to food grain shortage. In response to a Bloomberg tweet claiming that India may import wheat in the coming days, the Department of Food and Public Distribution clarified that there is no such plan and that the country has sufficient supplies to fulfil domestic requirements.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution stated, “There is no such plan to import wheat into India. Country has sufficient stocks to meet our domestic requirements and @FCI_India has enough stock for public distribution.”

The Bloomberg report said that while PM Modi had said that India was feeding the world, the country needs to consider importing food grains. The report reads, “The looming shortage and rising prices now have authorities making preparations to buy from overseas. Government officials are discussing whether to cut or abolish a 40% import tax on wheat to help flour millers in some regions to import grain, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private.”

The Bloomberg report was carried by other media houses too, like NDTV, Livemint etc.

Reuters reported earlier on August 9 that India may remove a 40% levy on wheat imports and limit the amount of stock that dealers may retain in order to cool high local prices in the country.

The largest winter crop in India is wheat, which is planted in October and November and harvested in March and April. After China, India is the world’s second-largest producer of wheat. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Gujarat are India’s top wheat-producing states.

Ban on export of wheat

In May this year, the government prohibited the export of wheat owing to instability and price fluctuations in the global agricultural market. As sections of the media reported that the ban was to ensure ‘food security,’ the Ministry of Commerce and Industry stated in the order prohibiting the export of wheat that there had been a sudden increase in the price of wheat on the international market due to a number of factors, and that the Government of India was committed to satisfying the requirements of India, its neighbours, and other vulnerable developing nations who were negatively impacted by the sudden changes in the global market for wheat and were unable to access adequate wheat supplies.

The union govt had said that some countries like China were buying and stocking Indian wheat to manipulate the price, and to prevent this, export was banned. However, India continued to supply wheat to those countries that needed it to meet their food demands and banned export for speculative purposes.

Following the restrictions imposed by the Government of India on wheat export, the price of wheat came down for domestic consumers. As OpIndia reported, the wheat price declined up to 8% to Rs 2,125 per quintal from the previous price which was Rs 2,325 per quintal in May this year.

Anand Sharma quits as Congress Steering Committee Chairman of poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, says was continuously being excluded and insulted

OpIndia Staff
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Anand Sharma quits as Congress Steering Committee Chairman of poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, says was continuously being excluded and insulted

On August 21, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma resigned from the chairmanship of the Congress steering committee for Himachal Pradesh elections. In a tweet, Sharma wrote, “I have resigned with a heavy heart from the Chairmanship of the Steering Committee of the Congress for the Himachal Elections. Reiterating that I am a lifelong congressman and remain firm on my convictions.”

He further added, “Committed to Congress ideology that runs in my blood, let there be no doubts about this! However, given the continuing exclusion and insults, as a self-respecting person- I was left with no choice.”

As per reports, in a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Sharma said he could not negotiate when it comes to his self-respect, and he has resigned from the post. Sharma said he was being ignored in the consultation process. He alleged that he was neither being consulted nor invited to the party meetings. However, he added that he would continue to campaign for the party candidates for upcoming elections. Sharma was appointed as Steering Committee Chairman on April 26.

Notably, a few days ago, Ghulam Nabi Azad also resigned from the post of chairman of the campaign committee in Jammu and Kashmir. Both Azad and Sharma are from the G23 faction of the Congress Party. G23 is a faction of senior Congress party leaders who have been pressing for structural changes in the “grand old party.”

Sharma has been with Congress for decades. In 1982, he contested for the first time in Assembly elections. In 1984, he was given Rajya Sabha seat and has been a member of the upper house ever since.

Bharatiya Janata Party is currently ruling Himachal Pradesh. The state will see Assembly elections later this year.

Zomato issues clarification and apologises for the ‘Mahakal Thali’ advertisement featuring Hrithik Roshan

OpIndia Staff
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Zomato issues clarification and apologises for the ‘Mahakal Thali’ advertisement featuring Hrithik Roshan

On Sunday, 21st August 2022, the food delivery company Zomato issued a clarification on its ‘Mahakal Thali’ advertisement. On Saturday, a controversy erupted over an advertisement by the company. The Zomato advertisement featuring Bollywood superstar Hritik Roshan allegedly showed the actor in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and asking for food delivery from the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. Now the company has clarified that the ad referenced ‘thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’, and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple.

According to the Gurgaon-based firm, the ‘Mahakal thali’ commercial is a part of a pan-Indian campaign that identifies the best restaurants in each city and their most popular meals. The statement from Zomato added that Mahakal Restaurant is one of their high-order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain and thali is a recommended item on its menu.

The statement said, “We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone’s beliefs and sentiments.”

The Mahakaleshwar or Mahakal temple of Shiva in Ujjain is one of twelve ‘Jyotirlingas’. Zomato has furnished this clarification after ‘Boycott Zomato’ became a trending topic on Twitter as two priests of Ujjain’s Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple demanded the immediate removal of the Hrithik Roshan-starring advertisement. The Prasad of the Mahakaleshwar Temple is distributed to the devotees on a platter that is Thali. The priests stated that their prasad is not something that can be ordered online through a meal delivery service.

They also spoke with Ashish Singh, the district collector for Ujjain, to demand that Zomato be punished. The head of the Mahakal temple trust, Ashish Singh, told reporters that the advertisement was “misleading” because the temple only provides free food called “prasad,” which cannot be ordered.

Zomato is an Indian multinational online restaurant search and food delivery company. It was founded by Pankaj Chadha and Deepinder Goyal in the year 2008. This company was established under the name FoodieBay. It was replaced by Zomato (Zomato Media PVT Ltd.) on 18 January 2010.

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan says his remarks condemning attack on Salman Rushdie were taken ‘out of context’

OpIndia Staff
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Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan says his remarks condemning attack on Salman Rushdie were taken ‘out of context’

On August 20, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan claimed that his remarks calling the attack on author Salman Rushdie “unjustifiable” were “taken out of context” by the British Newspaper The Guardian. In an interview to The Guardian, Khan condemned the attack on Rushdie and said that the anger of Muslims against Rushdie for the book The Satanic Verses was understandable, but there was no way to justify the attack. He had said, “I think it is terrible, sad.”

However, the official Twitter account of Imran Khan’s party, Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman (PTI), issued a statement on behalf of Khan and said, “The Guardian took my speech out of context”. Imran Khan said that once he had refused to attend a seminar in India because Salman Rushdie was also invited to the same event. He said that he explained the Islamic method of punishing the insolent Prophet in the Guardian interview, and he had referred to the Sialkot tragedy and spoke of Rushdie in the same context.

Khan emphasized that he gave the example of the “Sialkot tragedy” and spoke about Rushdie in a similar context. He was referring to the lynching of a Sri Lankan man in Sialkot, Pakistan, over blasphemy allegations. He was burnt alive for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

Attack on Salman Rushdie

75-year-old Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times by a 24-year-old man from New Jersey identified as Hadi Matar, who was a US national of Lebanese origin. Rushdie was attacked during a literary event at Chautauqua Institution in Western New York. Rushdie suffered three stab wounds on the next, four to his stomach, and his right eye and chest were also punctured.

There was an active fatwa against Rushdie for his book ‘The Satanic verses’ which was released in 1988. Following the release of the book, he received death threats and continued to do so. He had to go into hiding for nine years after the fatwa was issued on his name by late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. A bounty of USD 3 million was announced for anyone who kills him.

Alleged journalist Rana Ayyub had to delete his tweet on Rushdie

Imran Khan is not the only Islamic personality who has to take back his words on Rushdie. Recently, money laundering accused Washington Post columnist and alleged journalist Rana Ayyub made a “blunder” on her Twitter account by wishing for Rushdie’s speedy recovery. Following her tweet, she was trolled, mocked, and threatened on social media platforms by fellow Islamists.

Many Islamists had also voiced their views that Ayyub is speaking what the West would like to hear. Ayyub is now a ‘favorite’ amongst the Western elite liberals since she has been very vocally anti-Modi and plays the minority, Muslim under attack card quite well. Ayyub deleted the tweet claiming there was some “grammatical” error.

No one dares to condemn attacks on “Nabi’s Gustakhi”

Islamists raise one and only one slogan if they feel there has been an incident of alleged blasphemy, and that is “Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek saza, sar tan se Juda”. The threat is not a metaphoric one but a real one. There have been countless incidents not only in India but across the world where people have been killed for merely expressing their views about Prophet Mohammed or gotten on the hit list for merely stating what has been written in Islamic holy texts.

Take the example of Nupur Sharma, who is currently away from public life out of fear for her life. Hindus like Kanhaiya Lal from Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe from Amravati were brutally killed by Islamists because they supported Nupur Sharma. Every once-in-a-while report from Pakistan made headlines that someone had been killed for alleged blasphemy.

There have been so many incidents, but hardly anyone dares to condemn it from the Muslim world as by doing so, they will not only become a target but also will lose any support from the Islamic world, which people like Khan and Ayyub cannot afford.

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