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Did you know: Sonia Gandhi got LK Advani’s comments in Parliament expunged in 2012. Here is all you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know: Sonia Gandhi got LK Advani’s comments in Parliament expunged in 2012. Here is all you need to know

In the midst of the discussion around the 50-page list of terms that the Lok Sabha secretariat deemed inappropriate for use in Parliament, it is significant to mention how Congress President Sonia Gandhi exhibited a rare outburst of wrath in the Lok Sabha in August 2012 after the treasury benches took strong exception to a remark by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani. Advani’s statement that “UPA-2 is an illegitimate government” sparked outrage in the House.

Immensely enraged Sonia Gandhi persuaded Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) to protest. During the spat between the ruling and Opposition benches, Meira Kumar, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, urged Advani to retract his statement during the altercation between the opposition and government benches. Eventually, Advani’s remarks were expunged from the records of the house.

Under fire from Congress leaders over his remarks, Advani clarified that his comments referred to the 2008 confidence vote for which “crores of rupees” were spent to save the government.

“The UPA-2 is illegitimate. It has never happened in the history of India…crores of rupees were spent to get votes,” Advani said sparking anger among the treasury benches.

Advani’s remarks raised the hackles of Sonia Gandhi, who appeared animated with fury over his comments calling the UPA-II government illegitimate. Gandhi strongly protested against the comments and egged on her party members to vociferously register their protest against Advani’s remarks, following which the BJP leader was forced to withdraw the remarks.

Notably, ahead of the Monsoon Session, which starts on July 18, an argument broke out Thursday over a 50-page list of words and phrases issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat deemed unacceptable for use in Parliament. The opposition called the unparliamentary language list a “gag order” designed to protect the Modi government from “criticism.”

The controversy

A new handbook published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat lists a number of expressions that have been deemed unprofessional and improper for usage in the Parliament and that, at the chair’s discretion, would not be captured when the parliamentary proceedings are being recorded.

The handbook states that any criticism of the Chair in both chambers, whether in English or Hindi, will be deemed unparliamentary and will be expunged from the records of Parliament. It contains terms that have been removed from the records of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in recent decades.

The opposition called the unparliamentary language list a “gag order” intended to insulate the Narendra Modi government from “criticism,” but Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stressed that “no words had been banned.” He stated that it is the Chair’s discretion to remove words.

It is worth noting that the list is not a new recommendation, but rather a compilation of words that have already been eliminated from the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, or state legislatures’ recordings. The opposition has made an unreasonable fuss about the subject.

What rules say

The practice of compiling expunged terms has reportedly been in use since 1954, and the list simply acts as a guide for MPs. These phrases were viewed as being unparliamentary even during the UPA’s government. In the past year, 62 new words have been added to the list; some of them may now be under evaluation.

Additionally, in accordance with Rule 380 (Expunction) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker may, at his or her discretion, order that words used in debate be omitted from the proceedings of the House if they are deemed to be defamatory, indecent, improper, or undignified.

In both the English and the Indian languages, there are literally thousands of words and phrases that are regarded as inappropriate. The Presiding Officers are responsible for keeping such phrases out of the records of Parliament. The presiding officers’ choices determine when new words and phrases are added to the list.

For their convenience, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has produced a sizable book named “Unparliamentary Expressions.” The most recent of these books was published in 2009, under the UPA government. Since then, the list has been uploaded to the MPs portal and the Lok Sabha intranet.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, said on Thursday that there are no terms or expressions that are forbidden in the House and that members are free to speak their minds. He said that the government has no influence over the choice to expunge and that it is made purely at the Speaker’s or Chairman’s direction.

“It has been a routine practice since 1959. No words have been banned. Members are free to express their views; no one can snatch that right of members, but the expression of their words should be as per decorum of Parliament,” Birla told the media. “Earlier, a book of such unparliamentary words used to be released. To avoid wastage of paper, we have put it on the internet,” he further added.

“Expunged words” during UPA

According to a report, the list from 2012, i.e., under the UPA government, includes even commonly used phrases like ashamed, falsehood, corrupt, nonsense, bundles of lies, fool, lawlessness, liar, cheating, looted, dishonest, dishonesty, fraudulent, mad, mislead, goons, James Bond, and bribe.

User gets Twitter notice for criticising SC judges who made comments against Nupur Sharma, injunction filed by Congress worker: Full details

OpIndia Staff
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User gets Twitter notice for criticising SC judges who made comments against Nupur Sharma, injunction filed by Congress worker: Full details

On the 1st of July, two Supreme Court Judges made certain remarks, blaming ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s “loose tongue” for the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal by Islamic fanatics. The observations, that did not make it to the written order, drew widespread condemnation from all quarters. On social media particularly, the criticism minced no words. One such individual who criticised the observations by the SC Judges was Vikrant Kumar. He has now tweeted that he has got a notice from Twitter, saying Congress had filed a lawsuit and got an injunction from the court, for a post where he criticised the oral observations against Nupur Sharma.

The post that Congress approached the court against, and Twitter got intimated to pull down, was one where Vikrant had pointed out that Taliban had appreciated the oral observations by Judges Surya Kant and Pardiwala, and that these judges should introspect instead of gagging criticism.

Vikrant Kumar got an email from Twitter that informed him about the injunction against his tweet. In the email, Twitter said that it had not taken action against the tweet for now, however, they may have to at a later date if they are asked to by the courts.

Email by Twitter to Vikrant Kumar

The email said that the legal notice has claimed that Vikrant’s tweet is against Indian laws.

In the email itself, that OpIndia has perused, the injunction copy was attached.

What did the court order and the legal notice to Twitter say

On the 7th of July, Congress post holder Dipali Sikand approached the sessions court in Bangalore to get an injunction against commentary that was being made about a picture, where several individuals were seen dining at a club owned by Sikand.

The MindScapes Club, owned by Sikand, had posted a picture where Sikand was seen dining with Finance Minister – Tamil Nadu, P. Thiagarajan, NDTV’s Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, CPIM’s Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat, The Hindu’s N. Ram and his wife.

Since this was just after the Supreme Court observations, rumours started floating that in this picture, Judge Surya Kant and Pardiwala were also present, therefore, alluding to a certain communist bias.

The injunction sought was against certain Twitter handles that were supposedly posting “defamatory” content against Dipali Sikand and her “guests who dined at the MindScapes Club”. The suit sought an injunction restraining people from writing about the picture, Dipali Sikand or her guests (N Ram et al). The suit also sought to force people to take down their posts about this picture.

Excerpt of injunction

The Sessions Court had passed an ex-parte injunction forcing the netizens mentioned by Sikand to not post anything about the picture or the people present at that luncheon and also, asked Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp etc to pull down the posts mentioned in the suit.

Excerpt of injunction

In the suit, Dipali Sikand had mentioned that there were several people who were “giving this a political colour” by alleging that Justices Surya Kant and Pardiwala were a part of the luncheon when they were not. This had defamed the guests who were present at the luncheon and given it a political colour. Therefore, she had asked the court to restrain not just the Twitter handles mentioned, but also the “unknown entities” who were tweeting about this. She had contended that the tweets were being posted to lower the reputation of the Judges involved as well.

Who is Dipali Sikand

Dipali Sikand is an entrepreneur, but more important, she is a post holder of the Congress party.

On the 2nd of January 2021, Rajeev Gowda, Congress leader and spokesperson had posted a tweet congratulating Dipali Sikand for being appointed as a national coordinator of Congress.

She is also the founder of Founder, LesConcierges, ClubConcierge, MindEscapes.

Why did the tweet by Vikrant Kumar, criticising the Judges, make it to the list by Dipali Sikand

The injunction, a copy of which Vikrant Kumar got, was about the picture of Dipali Sikand, other communist leaders, NDTV journalists and The Hindu’s N Ram, however, Vikrant’s tweet was specifically criticising the oral observations by Justice Pardiwala and Surya Kant. So how did Vikrant’s tweet make it to the list of tweet URLs that Dipali Sikand, Congress worker, provided to the court for an injunction?

It is pertinent to note that N Ram, who had cropped Rafale papers and ran the fake news for weeks, had outraged about the picture and claims that the two judges were present at the lunch.

It is also pertinent to keep in mind that the entire Congress ecosystem had condemned the criticism of the Judges for their oral remarks.

In the suit by Sikand, she had mentioned that the comments on the picture also defamed the two judges – Surya Kant and Pardiwala.

Since Congress was enthusiastic about the shameful oral observations against Nupur Sharma, while it is possible that Vikrant’s tweet was added by mistake, it seems more likely that this was Congress’ way to shut down criticism of not just the lavish lifestyle led by avowed Communists and the nexus between Media and the Communist party functionaries as evident in the picture, but also criticism of Judges Surya Kant and Pardiwala.

Pakistani man kills and boils wife in cauldron in front of their six children in Sindh

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani man kills and boils wife in cauldron in front of their six children in Sindh

On July 13, Wednesday, a Pakistan man allegedly killed his wife, severed one of her legs from her body and then boiled her in a cauldron (large metal pot) in front of his six children. The gruesome incident was reported from a private school in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area in Pakistan’s Sindh province. According to media reports, the deceased, identified as Nargis, was allegedly killed for not submitting to her husband’s demands to engage in illicit relationships.

The incident came to the fore after Nargis’ 15-year-old daughter, who was one of the witnesses to the heinous act, called the local police to inform them about the incident. She told the police that her father Ashiq fled with her three siblings following the harrowing incident.

According to the police, the woman’s husband Ashiq from Bajaur Agency worked as a watchman and lived in the servant quarters of the school that had been closed for about eight to nine months. As per the child’s statement and preliminary probe, at first Ashiq suffocated his wife to death with a pillow and then boiled her in the cauldron in front of her children. One of the woman’s legs had also been severed from her body, said the police.

Though the police are yet to ascertain the reason behind the barbaric act, it is being speculated that the husband had forced his wife to engage in illicit relationships and murdered her when she refused to give in to his demands.

District East Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdur Rahim Sherazi was quoted by Geo News as saying that the police has custody of the other three children.

“They are shaken and traumatised,” said SSP Sherazi, adding that the deceased’s body has been taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

A case has been registered and raids are being carried out to arrest the suspect, said the police. While the suspect took three of the children with him, the other three children are now in police custody. “They are shaken and traumatised,” said SSP Sherazi.

Sri Lanka crisis: NDTV falsely claims ‘India sent a private jet for Rajapaksa’, deletes tweet after MEA rubbishes such rumours

OpIndia Staff
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Sri Lanka crisis: NDTV falsely claims ‘India sent a private jet for Rajapaksa’, deletes tweet after MEA rubbishes such rumours

On Thursday, the Indian government reiterated that it has no role to play in the travel of the former President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and that the country had never helped him escape from Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the High Commission of India in the Maldives rubbished all such claims made by the media channels who said that India had sent a private jet to the Maldives for Rajapaksa at the request of the Government of Maldives.

This is probably after NDTV, the Leftist news channel falsely claimed in a report that Rajapaksa was transported from the Maldives to Singapore in a private jet that was sent by India. “#JustIn: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is currently at Velana International Airport. He is getting ready to depart in a private jet that is yet to arrive from Delhi”, NDTV had tweeted.

Screenshot from Twitter

The media channel also added in the tweet that the arrangement for Rajapaksa was done after the Government of Maldives requested the Government of India to help in the case. The Indian government rubbished all such claims and reiterated on Thursday that it had no hand in arranging the travels of Rajapaksa. “India has no role in Sri Lanka President Rajapaksa’s travel from the country or in facilitating the same”, MEA said.

Reportedly, the NDTV pulled down the tweet with false claims on July 14. Earlier too, the Indian High Commission in Colombo had refused to have helped the outgoing Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa flee to the Maldives. Extending support to the people of Sri Lanka amid the mounting political and economic problems in the country, the High Commission had said that the media reports which claimed that India helped Rajapaksa escape from Sri Lanka were ‘baseless and speculative’.

The MEA meanwhile added that India will stand by the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established democratic institutions, and a constitutional framework.

Sri Lanka’s troubled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned on Thursday, just after arriving in Singapore, according to the House speaker’s office. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s spokesperson said Rajapaksa resigned by email, hours after the 73-year-old leader arrived in the city-state after demonstrators overran his palace over the weekend.

In the evening, a Saudi Airlines flight carrying Rajapaksa touched down at Singapore Changi International Airport. In response to media inquiries, a representative for the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that he had not requested or been given asylum. According to the spokeswoman, Singapore does not normally accept asylum requests.

Sri Lanka, a nation of 22 million inhabitants, is experiencing an unparalleled economic downturn, the worst in seven decades, with millions unable to purchase food, medication, energy, and other commodities. Wickremesinghe, the country’s acting president, proclaimed a state of emergency yesterday.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar receives the highest State honour of Suriname

OpIndia Staff
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar receives the highest State honour of Suriname

On Friday (July 15), the Republic of Suriname bestowed its highest State honour on Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

In a tweet, the yoga guru wrote, “Honoured to receive Suriname’s highest award – The Honorary Order of the Yellow Star (Ere-Orde van de Gele Ster).”

“I credit this award to the teachers & volunteers who have been doing commendable service in this country. I thank President Santokhi & the judges for this honour,” he further stated.

While speaking about the matter, the President of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, remarked, “Gurudev ji, I applaud you for keep shining your light. I congratulate you that this decoration… May you lead us all to peace and harmony…People of Suriname will always welcome you with a warm heart.”

Interestingly, the President of Suriname is the Grand Master of the Honorary Order of the Yellow Star. Commissioned in 1975, it is awarded to meritorious individuals for exemplary service to the nation and its people. Foreigners are also eligible to receive the award. The Order is cited in 2 divisions – civil and military.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had earlier said he had denied the Padma award

It must be mentioned that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had earlier turned down the Padma award, which was to be awarded to him during the 66th Republic Day. In a statement, he said, “Rajnath Singhji called to inform me about Padma Awards. I thank Govt for considering me. Instead of me, I’d like them to honour someone else.”

Jahangirpuri violence was a sequel to 2020 Delhi anti-CAA riots, stones and glass bottles were kept ready at terraces days ago: Police charge sheet

OpIndia Staff
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Jahangirpuri violence was a sequel to 2020 Delhi anti-CAA riots, stones and glass bottles were kept ready at terraces days ago: Police charge sheet

In an update to the Jahangirpuri violence escalated by the Islamists during the Hanuman Jayanti processions earlier this year, the Delhi Police revealed on Thursday that the riots were well planned and that the accused had incited the locals to pelt stones at the Hindus participating in the procession. The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police filed a charge sheet in Rohini court in the case of violence that happened on April 16.

According to the reports, the Police in the charge sheet mentioned that the three main accused in the case identified as Mohammed Ansar, Tabrez, and Sheikh Irshfil had made all the preparations to execute the violence. They had collected the stones, and empty glass bottles and had placed them on the terraces of the nearby buildings. Stones and glass bottles were also placed at accused Irshfil’s terrace. The police while investigating the case recovered all of them and charged persons involved with inciting the violence.

In the 2000 paged charge sheet, the Police further stated that it investigated the data of around 2300 phones and also went through 58 different clips to discover the links between the Jahangirpuri violence with the anti-CAA violence that had disrupted the peace and law and order in Delhi in the year 2019-20. Police said that Jahangirpuri violence was the sequel of the 2019 riots.

So far the Police have charged 45 main conspirators and have arrested 37 in the case of violence in which eight police personnel and a civilian have sustained injuries. Mohammed Ansar, Tabrez, and Irshfil are the 3 main accused who have been arrested among 45. Around 8 of the accused including one of the prime accused Irshfil is on the run in the case. The Police said that they have launched a massive manhunt to nab all the accused on run and added that some of the accused are out on bail.

The charge sheet filed by the Police on Thursday mentioned that the three prime accused in the case Mohammed Ansar, Tabrez, and Sheikh Irshfil played an important role in inciting the locals to pelt stones at the Hindu rally. While Irshfil collected stones and glass bottles, another accused named Tarbez incited the local Islamists. On one hand, he talked about cooperating with the Police, and in absence of the authorities, he motivated the Islamists to take revenge against the CAA-NRC laws. Tabrez also played an important role in organizing the protest against CAA at Kushal Chowk in Jahangirpuri in April.

The Police also revealed that the accused had planned the violence and had started preparations for it 6 days before the violence. As part of the conspiracy, the accused had placed stones and glass bottles on the roofs of the houses, so that stones could be pelted during the Hanuman Jayanti Shobha Yatra. The police have so far recovered swords and country-made pistols from the arrested accused. The charge sheet says that the intention of the accused was to cause heavy damage, which was handled in time due to the vigilance of the police.

Delhi Police on Thursday also presented video pieces of evidence in court and said that it used a facial recognition system during the investigation to nab the 37 culprits. The charge sheet was filed under sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 332, 323, 427, 436, 307, 120B IPC read with 27 Arms Act.

Event organiser rubbishes ex-VP Hamid Ansari’s defence over Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza controversy: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Event organiser rubbishes ex-VP Hamid Ansari’s defence over Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza controversy: Read details

Days after Pakistani journalist-turned-spy Nusrat Mirza revealed that ex-Vice President Hamid Ansari had invited him to a seminar on terrorism in 2010, the organiser of the event Dr Adish Aggarwala issued a detailed statement on the matter.

He is the President of the International Council of Jurists and the Chairman of the All India Bar Association. In a press release on Thursday (July 14), Aggarwala stated that the said event was held between December 11-12 in 2010 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, as per the press release.

“The then Vice-President Hamid Ansari had attended the conference but Nusrat Mirza was neither an invitee nor had he attended it. Even Nusrat Mirza has not referred to this conference in his interview,” he emphasised.

“Mr Ashok Dewan who at that time was walling as Director, Vice-President Secretariat had informed me that the Vice-President has desired that Pakistani journalist Mr Nusrat Mirza be invited to the Conference. However, we could not accede to the request since Mr Mirza was from Pakistan media and we had not invited judges or lawyers from Pakistan,” the statement read.

According to Dr Adish Aggarwala, a dismayed Hamid Ansari communicated to Dewan that he would attend the seminar for only 20 minutes. This was despite the fact that the ex-Vice President had initially agreed to spend an hour at the event.

“Some Congress leaders are trying to mask the alleged meeting of Mr Hamid Ansari with Nusrat Mirza by making insinuations and veiled statements on social media that Mr Nusrat Mirza had attended the conference organized by me”, he added.

The President of the International Council of Jurists stated how some Congress leaders were trying to cast aspersions on him for co-authoring a book on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He emphasised that Ansari and Mirza did not attend the Conference on Jurists but instead participated in the “International Conference against Terrorism”, which was held at Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi on October 27, 2009, by Jama Masjid United Forum.

“It appears that Mr Hamid Ansari and Mr Jairam Ramesh chose not to disclose about the Jama Masjid United Forum’s Conference in order to mislead government agencies and the public. Possibly, they felt it appropriate to take shelter behind the Jurists’ Conference so that Mr Ansari receives a clean chit on scrutiny of records of the said Conference,” Dr Adish Aggarwala said.

He emphasised, “The statements made by Mr Hamid Ansari, Mr Jairam Ramesh, and other Congress office bearers are manifestly distorted, wholly untrue, and deplorably dishonest. It is rather astonishing that a former Vice-President of the country would indulge in underhanded activity and then try to duck behind another unconnected event to lead the public astray.”

“They deceitfully and designedly named the Jurists’ Conference as the only one which was attended by Mr Hamid Ansari on the assumption that none will reach the truth,” he further stated.

Dr Adish Aggarwala also pointed out that such conferences could not be organised without the clearance of the Foreign Ministry and Home Ministry of the Union government.

“Whenever an event is attended by the President of India. Vice-President of India or the Prime Minister of India who are adorning the dais, the names of all persons who share the dais are to be first cleared by the said leaders. It is, therefore, obvious that the names of persons who were on the dais that day had been approved of by Mr Ansari,” he remarked.

“India is a country governed by the rule of law and we firmly believe in the jurisprudential principle expressed in the immortal words of Thomas Fuller: ‘Be ye never so high, the law is above you.’ A former Vice-President of India must therefore be made to account for acts that endangered the lives of its citizens,” he concluded while seeking a government inquiry into the matter.

Hamid Ansari saga and his fallible defence

On July 10, Pakistani Journalist and YouTuber Shakil Chaudhary published an interview with Pakistani Journalist Nusrat Mirza who claimed he spied on India and handed over the information he had gathered during his visits to India between 2005 to 2011.

He said in 2010, he was invited to a seminar on terrorism by then-Vice President Hamid Ansari. He said, “Though I agree I am not an expert, but we are Mughals. We have ruled India for centuries. I understand their culture. I know about their weaknesses. But the problem is the experience I gathered about India is not being used due to lack of good leadership in Pakistan.”

During his 2011 visit to India, Mirza said he had met The Milli Gazette’s publisher Zafarul Islam Khan. In his defence, Ansari said that falsehood was unleashed on him by the controversy.

He had denied claims about inviting Nusrat Mirza for a conference in Delhi in 2010, saying that it was the government and the organiser who invited people.

“It is a known fact that invitations to foreign dignitaries by the Vice-President of India are on the advice of the Government generally through the Ministry of External Affairs…As is the normal practice the list of invitees would have been drawn by the organizers. I never invited him or met him,” Hamid Ansari claimed.

Ripudaman Singh Malik, accused in 1985 Air India bombing, ‘bumped off’ by anti-India forces to reignite Khalistan sentiments? Analysts suspect ISI role

Nupur J Sharma
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Ripudaman Singh Malik, accused in 1985 Air India bombing, ‘bumped off’ by anti-India forces to reignite Khalistan sentiments? Analysts suspect ISI role

Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was accused in the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing case, has been shot dead in Surrey, Canada. Malik was shot to death as he sat inside his car at about 9:30 AM local time, Thursday, outside an industrial plaza where he has a business office in the 8200-block of 128th Street. Reportedly, a burning car was also discovered near where he was shot dead.

According to reports, police were called in after gunshots were heard and despite first responders giving medical aid to Malik, he succumbed to his injuries after being shot.

CBC News has cited eye witnesses saying that they heard 3 shots that were fired and that this appeared to be a targeted shooting.

Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi president and former chief of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna said in a statement: “I am deeply saddened at the death of Sardar Ripudaman Singh Malik in Canada. The loss is irreparable. Sardar Malik ran a number of Khalsa schools and was at the forefront of humanitarian efforts in Canada. My sincere condolences to his family. We hope Canadian authorities will launch a thorough investigation into his assassination and bring culprits to book.”

Ripudaman Singh Malik had recently praised PM Narendra Modi for the positive steps taken for Sikhs

In January 2022, Ripudaman Singh Malik praised PM Modi for the positive steps taken by him in the interest of the Sikh community. He had written a letter and praised the Prime Minister for the “unprecedented steps”, expressing his “heartfelt gratitude”.

“I am writing you this to express my deep heartfelt gratitude for the unprecedented positive steps taken by yourself to redress long-reading Sikh demands and grievances including the elimination of blacklists that restricted visits to India of thousands of Sikhs living abroad, grant of passports and visas to asylees and their families, reopening of hundreds of 1984-riots closed cases leading to conviction and jail term for some, declaring 1984-riots as ‘genocide’ by then Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh on the floor of the House, giving compensation of Rs. 5.00 lakh per family of the anti-Sikh genocide victims, the opening of Sri Kartarpur Saheb Corridor facilitating pilgrims from India to visit the revered place of our first Master Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” he had said in the letter.

He also expressed happiness on declaration of December 26 – the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons – as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’.

Interestingly, he had also expressed concerns over the concerted campaign of some members of the Sikh community against PM Modi and the Government of India. Promising to work with the government to address pending issues, he had also written a separate letter to the Sikh community. In the letter, he said, “Violence in Punjab only ends up hurting the interests of the Sikh community in Punjab and throughout India and around the world. I do my daily Ardaas for world peace as I do not like seeing my community or any community suffer due to violence”.

“I do not believe it is right to unfairly criticise the Prime Minister given his many positive gestures towards the Sikh community. Instead of criticising we should be appreciating and engaging meaningfully with the government of India under his leadership towards a positive partnership for the future,” Singh further said in the letter.

Who could have killed Ripudaman Singh Malik?

Vancouver Sun quoted retired RCMP deputy commissioner Gary Bass, who was responsible for the terrorism investigation after the 1985 Kanishka bombing. He was quoted as saying that after the bombing, Malik had many enemies. “I’m not privy to the ongoing investigations on Malik right now, but I can say that from years when I was that he was involved in a number of activities that might bring him into conflict with other people”, he was quoted as saying. “Too many potential motives”, Bass said, alluding to the fact that his alleged involvement in the Air India bombing could be one of the motives for him to get murdered.

While speculations are rife, Indian Defence Analysts believe that his killing could have nothing to do with his alleged involvement in the Air India bombing, rather, could be a direct result of his turn of heart that led to him praising PM Modi and vowing to work with the Indian government.

Gaurav Arya, former Army Major and Defence Analyst speaking to OpIndia said, “There is a certain sense of disappointment amongst Khalistanis that the ISI is not supporting them like it used to, earlier. That could be because of the paucity of funds and also FATF. Ripudaman Singh recently praised PM Modi. It is possible that the ISI saw this as an affront and eliminated him”.

A source in Indian intelligence said, “You have to realise that Ripudaman Malik was acquitted in the bombing, however, he did have close ties with Khalistani terrorists at the time. With his recent praise of Modi, it is entirely possible that he was disgruntled with the Khalistan project funded by ISI. For terrorists and the ISI, people like Malik are pawns who need to be silenced if they deviate from the given line. Praising Modi could have been the last nail in his coffin since it would hurt reigniting the Khalistani sentiments among Sikh youths”.

“Ripudaman was hardly a threat to India anymore. He wanted to work with the Indian government to resolve Sikh issues. He had written to PM Modi warning him of the designs of local Khalistanis and ISI, trying to discredit his stellar work. I suspect Khalistanis, who were miffed with Malik, shot him dead at the behest of ISI”, he added.

Even in the Vancouver Sun, this possibility was not discredited. It is entirely possible that once an aid of Babbar Khalsa and the Khalistan “cause” had a change of heart and wanted to work with the Indian authorities to resolve pending issues. In fact, he had also warned the PM about Khalistanis trying to discredit the work done by the Prime Minister and Indian authorities for the benefit of the Sikh community.

Given that Khalistanis and funded and instructed by ISI, Pakistan, Malik’s overtures to the Indian government and appreciation of the work being done for the Sikh community could have prompted an assassination plot, to eliminate a voice that could dent Khalistani sentiments, given that ISI is known to eliminate people who go against their established narrative, even abroad.

The 1984 Air India Kanishka bombing and how Ripudaman Singh Malik was acquitted

Malik, who founded the Khalsa Credit Union, was acquitted in the Air India case by a Canadian court in 2005. Malik, Inderjeet Singh Reyat (convicted) and Ajaib Singh Bagri were among the three main accused in the blast on board Air India Flight 182, Emperor Kanishka, a Boeing 747 aircraft that was on its way to Delhi from Montreal on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 on board. Malik and Bagri were charged with 329 counts of murder. However, they were acquitted after Reyat, who was convicted of the bombing, said that he could not remember the bombing plot or the names of those who were involved in it.

Inderjit Singh Reyat spent over 20 years in jail for his role in the deadliest mass murder in Canadian history.

Reyat was also convicted on two counts of manslaughter for his role in building a bomb that exploded at the Narita International airport, killing two baggage handlers. The luggage bomb in Air India Flight 182 exploded when it was above the Atlantic Ocean near Ireland on its way from Montreal in Canada to London. A similar fate awaited the other aircraft as well but it exploded before it could be loaded onto the plane.

The terror attack was carried out by Khalistanis in revenge for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s decision to storm the Golden Temple in order to rid it of Bhindranwale. Apart from his role in the terrorist attack, Reyat was also accused of lying and committing perjury during the trial of Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri.

Justice Ian Josephson called Reyat an “unmitigated liar under oath” while acquitting Malik and Bagri of the bombing deaths. While he at least served some time in prison, most others, including the individual believed to be in charge of the conspiracy, died a natural death without facing the consequences for their actions.

Years after the incident, in 2010, a report on the matter blamed a “cascading series of errors” by the government, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the spy agency for failing to avert the terror attack. Former Canadian Supreme Court Justice John Major said that the blunders that were committed by security agencies were “inexcusable”.

“I stress this is a Canadian atrocity,” Major said. “For too long the greatest loss of Canadian lives at the hands of terrorists has somehow been relegated outside the Canadian consciousness.” 268 Canadian citizens died in the act of terrorism. 27 Brits and 24 Indians were also murdered in the said attack.

The report also said that Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and RCMP were in possession of pieces of information “that, taken together, would have led a competent analyst to conclude that Flight 182 was at high risk of being bombed by known Sikh terrorists in June 1985.” One of the key recommendations of the report was for the Prime Minister to clear the turf wars between the agencies.

Punjab: Sangrur MP goes on a strange separatist rant, says if Khalistan is made, South Asia will never have nuclear war

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Sangrur MP goes on a strange separatist rant, says if Khalistan is made, South Asia will never have nuclear war

MP of Sangrur, Simranjit Singh Mann of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), went on a strange separatist rant on 14th July, where he said that if Khalistan is made, it would act as a “buffer state” and South Asia would never have a nuclear war due to its existence.

Mann said, “First, they (BJP-led Central government) should answer whether they can keep India intact or not. If they will approve Khalistan then it’ll become a buffer state. Islamic Pakistan has nuclear weapons, Hindu India has nuclear weapons, Comrade China has nuclear weapons, and Khalistan would become a buffer state of these three states and it will ensure there is never a nuclear war in South Asia”. The pro-Khalistan MP said that the demand for Khalistan was alright since India was “giving away its land to Pakistan and China”.

He, of course, did not explain how creating Khalistan would stop the nuclear war in South Asia. This appears to be another senseless rant to justify the separatism and hate that leads to the demand for breaking India up and creating a separate land for Sikhs called Khalistan.

Simranjit Singh Mann did not just stop there. He went on to try and instigate the people of Haryana as well.

He said the people of Haryana should be ashamed that they have a Punjabi as their Chief Minister instead of a Hariyanvi, ruling over them. He further said that gangsters are from Haryana and not from Punjab.

The worrying victory of pro-Khalistan Simranjit Singh Mann in Punjab

On June 26, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced by-poll results for multiple Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across states, including the Lok Sabha seat of Sangrur, Punjab, that fell vacant after Bhagwant Mann, MP from Sangrur became Chief Minister of Punjab. Aam Aadmi Party had given the ticket to Gurmail Singh, who lost the seat to Simranjit Singh Mann of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar).

Out of a total turnout of 7,10,825 voters, Mann got 2,52,898 votes while AAP’s Gurmail Singh got 2,46,828 votes. Shiromani Akali Dal’s attempt to win the votes of Khalistani sympathisers by fielding the sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana failed as Simranjit Singh Mann has been a long-time supporter of Khalistan moment himself. Rajoana could not even cross 50,000 votes. There were 1,203 postal votes as well out of which Mann got 256 votes and Singh got 504 votes.

Simranjit Singh Mann has a long history of openly supporting the Khalistan movement. He had left Police Services because of Operation Blue Star, which was initiated by the Government of India to eliminate Khalistani terrorists lodged in Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Reports suggest his party workers raised pro-Khalistan slogans at Golden Temple on Operation Blue Star anniversary this year. 

In 2021, while wishing for the new year, he said on Twitter, “May 2021 bring freedom for the Sikh community in form of ‘Khalistan’ that will eradicate social evils such as coercion, discrimination, greed, ego, etc. and restore human values, mutual love, respect, and cooperation.”

In 2018, while sharing photographs of security forces deployed on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, he wrote, “This naked show of force by the Indian state is to show the world how this Hindu state treats the stateless Sikhs. The Hindu state still thinks that machine guns will frighten the Sikhs and keep them away from their peaceful means to carve out the Sikh state of Khalistan.”

Simranjit Singh Mann has openly demanded Khalistan and often spoke about a separate state for Sikhs. Reports suggest he has been arrested over 30 times including over charges of sedition but never got convicted.

Gauhar Chishti, who had raised ‘sar tan se juda’ slogans outside Ajmer dargah, arrested in Hyderabad

OpIndia Staff
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Gauhar Chishti, who had raised ‘sar tan se juda’ slogans outside Ajmer dargah, arrested in Hyderabad

Gauhar Chishti, who had raised slogans of beheading against former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, has been arrested by the police from Hyderabad on 14th July 2022. On June 17, Gauhar Chishti raised the objectionable slogans outside the Ajmer dargah.

Chishti also reportedly met one of the murderers of Kanhaiya Lal. The Pakistan connection of the arrested accused Gauhar Chishti has also come to light. He was in regular touch with some people from Pakistan’s radical organization Dawat-e-Islami. This has come to light during the NIA probe of the Kanhaiya Lal murder case in Udaipur, and the Rajasthan ATS probe of the provocative sloganeering in Ajmer.

Vikas Sangwan, Additional SP, Ajmer said, “Gauhar Chishti arrested by Police from Hyderabad, Telangana. He had raised objectionable slogans outside Dargah on 17th June. The police team will bring him to Ajmer on transit remand on Friday. An FIR was lodged against Gauhar Chishti on June 25 for his provocative speech. He had been absconding since then and had moved out of Rajasthan on June 29. He was arrested from Hyderabad on Thursday.”

Gauhar Chishti is Khadim of the Ajmer dargah and he made provocative speeches and raised slogans outside the Ajmer Dargah to behead those who insult Prophet Mohammad. After that, he left Ajmer and was absconding since June 23.

It is notable that Gauhar Chishti was also arrested by the police two years ago for making a video of the CRPF camp, though he was let off at that time with a mere warning.

During the investigation into Kanhaiya Lal’s murder case, it was revealed that some people of Pakistan-based radical outfit Daawat-e-Islami were in touch with many people in India. Among them, the names of Kanhaiya Lal’s killers Mohammad Riyaz and Gaus Mohammad as well as Khadim Gauhar Chishti of Ajmer Dargah also came up.

Names of several Khadims of Ajmer dargah have come up in the last few weeks for making incendiary statements. Sarwar Chishti called for an economic boycott of Hindus and claimed that if Muslims start a movement, the whole country will shake. Another Khadim, Salman Chishti made a video and declared that he will give his own house to the person who will behead Nupur Sharma. Yet another Khadim, Aadil Chishti made offensive remarks about Hindu Gods during a TV appearance and called Hindu beliefs irrational and unbelievable.

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