US first lady Jill Biden is facing a severe backlash from the Latino community in the country after she compared them to tacos, a traditional Mexican food. Speaking at the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference held in Texas, the first lady said that the Latino community is “as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio”.
The comparison left the Latino community baffled, and led to a scathing response from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). In their response to Jill Biden’s remark, NAHJ wrote, “NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions. Do not reduce us to stereotypes.”
NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities.
We are not tacos.
Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions.
While educating the first lady on Latino culture, NAHJ wrote an iconic line “We are not tacos”, that has resonated with every Latino living in the United States whose vibrant culture has been reduced to a food item.
During her speech, Jill Biden said, “The diversity of this community, as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio, is your strength.” However, the first lady didn’t realise how racist it would sound to the Latino community.
After her comments, many users across the United States joined in to remind the first lady that Latinos aren’t tacos.
While US President Joe Biden is known for his public gaffes, including last week’s incident when he read a teleprompter’s instructions to his audience, Jill Biden has generally managed to avoid that. However, her comparison of Latinos to tacos is not going to go down well with a community that is already shifting away from Democrats to Republicans.
A State-run Islamic college named Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ambon in Indonesia has courted controversy after its administration shut down the publication of a student magazine over its investigation of sexual assault cases on campus.
The institute is located in Ambon city in the Maluku province of Indonesia. In March this year, the student magazine Lintas published detailed testimonies of 25 female and 7 male survivors of sexual violence.
The incidents took place on campus between the period 2015-2021. Several episodes of sexual assault also took place during field research trips or at the homes and offices of lecturers. Owing to a thorough investigation, Lintas was able to identify a total of 14 perpetrators.
[SIARAN PERS]
KEBEBASAN PERS DIJEGAL PIHAK KAMPUS, LPM LINTAS GUGAT KE PTUN AMBON
Lembaga Penerbitan Pers Lintas di Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ambon mngajukn gugatan pmbatalan Surat Keputusan No 92 Tahun 2022 ttg Pembekuan LPM di PTUN Ambon, Maluku, Kamis, 7 Juli 2022.
The accused included 8 lecturers, 3 employees, 2 students and 1 alumnus. Lintas undertook a 5-year-long probe, starting in 2017, to ascertain the facts of the case.
One of the lecturers named as an accused by the student magazine had asked a survivor to delete sexually explicit messages. After the episode of sexually inappropriate behaviour was exposed by Lintas, 5 people known to the lecturer assaulted 2 staff members of the magazine.
The victims were identified as M. Nurdin Kaisupy and Muh. Pebrianto, who worked as a reporter and designer for Lintas.
3) Sblmnya, Lintas dibekukan pd 17 Maret 2022 krn mnurunkan liputan khusus kekerasan seksual bertajuk “IAIN Ambon Rawan Pelecehan.” Dlm majalah edisi Januari 2022 yg bredar pd 14 Maret lalu itu tertulis, 32 org mengaku mjdi korban pelecehan seksual di IAIN Ambon …
In an article titled, ‘IAIN Ambron prone to Harassment‘ and published by Lintas, a victim narrated how she was sexually harassed in classrooms, homes of the institute’s employees, and the boarding houses of the lecturers.
The unnamed victim had also revealed about other episodes of sexually inappropriate behaviour by a lecturer during a follow-up exam at his house. Another female student was also victimised by the same lecturer.
They were reportedly rubbed on their backs and held by the waist on multiple occasions. The accused has refuted the allegations and claimed it to be nothing but slander.
5) Brdsrkan SK pembekuan itu, unit kegiatan mahasiswa yg berdiri sejak 26 April 2011 itu dinonaktifkan tanpa batas waktu. Shingga Lintas diwakili empat penggugat, yakni Yolanda Agne, M. Sofyan Hatapayo, Idris Boufakar, dan Taufik Rumadaul, menyatakan melawan SK itu di PTUN Ambon.
On March 17, the Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ambon rector, Zainal Abidin Rahawarin, directed the campus security to shut down the student magazine. He ordered them to seal the newsroom, and seize the equipment belonging to Lintas.
While accusing the magazine of ‘defaming’ the Islamic institute, Rahawarin reported a total of 9 students to the police for exposing sexual assault incidents on campus.
Despite assuring action as per protocol against the perpetrators of sexual violence, the IAIN Ambron rector did not set up a task force as mandated in such cases since 2019.
7) Jalur PTUN ini juga dinilai sebagai langkah bijak dalam upaya mengembalikan pers mahasiswa untuk beraktivitas kembali dan tidak dianggap ilegal oleh kampus.
Gugatan ini didampingi Koalisi Pembela LPM Lintas.
The clampdown on a student magazine by the administration of the Islamic institute prompted demonstrations from over 2 dozen journalists, student media outlets and even the Alliance of Independent Journalists in Indonesia.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for the immediate intervention of the Religious Affairs Minister of the country, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. It has sought revocation of the ban on Lintas and a comprehensive probe into the allegations of sexual assaults.
An instance of a man attacking a minor girl has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on 11 July where one Danish Khan severely wounded a girl with a blade while she was on her way to tuition classes. Danish then escaped from the scene. The injured girl was transferred from the Civil Hospital to the Medical College, where she remains in critical condition. The doctors have treated several injuries on her face and neck.
The victim is said to have received 31 stitches on her face and neck.
UP के झांसी जिले में कोचिंग करने जा रही 12वीं की छात्रा को दानिश खान नामक लड़के ने ब्लेड मार दिए। उसको 31 टांके आए हैं। दानिश 2 साल से छात्रा पर दोस्ती का दबाव बना रहा था। #Jhansi
— Sachin Gupta | सचिन गुप्ता (@sachingupta787) July 11, 2022
As per reports, the girl lives in Jhansi on Gwalior Road. She is a 12th-class student. She was heading to English tuition near the mission compound on Monday at approximately 4 o’clock. Danish Khan, a local of the village of Karari, stood on the road blocking it. He attacked the girl with a blade and severely wounded her. The victim was saved by another girl’s intervention. The girl, who was bleeding, anyhow managed to make it to coaching where the teacher took her to the hospital.
The victim’s mother told, “For the past two years, Danish Khan has been harassing my daughter. He had obtained her phone number from the coaching centre. He kept calling from several numbers. He used to put pressure on her to start a ‘friendship’ with him. Every day on her way to coaching, he used to harass her.”
थाना कोतवाली क्षेत्रान्तर्गत छात्रा को युवक द्वारा ब्लेड़ मार कर घायल कर देने की घटना के संबंध में क्षेत्राधिकारी नगर द्वारा दी गयी वीडियो बाइट pic.twitter.com/blloloKiZz
“He used to threaten her as well. My daughter did not tell anyone in the home anything because she was afraid. He attacked when my daughter refused to speak to him. Danish is about 8 to 10 years older than my daughter, ” the victim’s mother further remarked. The victim’s father is no longer alive. She is the eldest of three sisters.
In this case, Inspector Tulsiram Pandey, in charge of the Kotwali police station, stated that as soon as the incident was reported, the location of the incident was surveyed. Three teams have been constituted to arrest the suspected Danish, and they are undertaking raids to apprehend him.
Following Jamtara in Jharkhand, the subject of converting several schools in Dumka, the hometown of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, has now gained attention. According to reports, more than 33 such schools have been discovered, which, although being government-run, do not grant holidays on Sundays but rather on Fridays.
According to a report by Hindustan, after the case of schools being converted into Urdu schools in Jamtara, Jharkhand, it was learned, that there are more than 33 such schools in Dumka that have been transformed into Urdu schools.
Additionally, it is noted on their midday meal menu that food is provided there on Sundays and that Friday is a holiday. The schools that were turned into Urdu schools without the administration’s knowledge are said to be situated in Muslim-dominated localities.
In Shikaripada, there are ten Urdu schools, whereas Jama, Jarmundi, Kathikund, and Dumka each have two. Similarly, Raneshwar has 8 Urdu schools, and Saraiyahat has 7 Urdu schools.
District Education Superintendent Sanjay Kumar Das has remarked that he has requested reports from every block on these modifications made to government schools. It is being determined under what circumstances, the weekly holiday has been granted in government schools on Friday, and how Urdu is related to these institutions. Sanjay Kumar Das has stated that once the report is received, he would conduct his own inquiry and take action against the perpetrators.
It is worth noting that the schools in Dumka where these modifications are observed are government institutions rather than madrasas. The Dumka MP had written a letter to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing how more than 100 Muslim-dominated schools in the area are given a Friday weekend rather than a Sunday off and the plot to convert regular Hindi schools to Urdu schools.
State Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto stated that as soon as he received this information, he spoke with the relevant officials and requested a report within a week. On this premise, further action will be taken, and government directives will be implemented.
We are expecting a report regarding this matter within a week. Then we will deliberate over it. The instructions of the government would be followed: Jagarnath Mahto, Education Minister, Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/6bG7sppvhG
It is worth noting that just a few days ago, a similar case from Jharkhand came to light in which the local Muslim community exerted pressure on a school to amend the school policies to suit their majority. Following this, the school prayer and method of prayer were both altered.
On Tuesday, the window panes and furniture of the RSS base were damaged and shattered after a bomb was hurled at its office located in Payyannur, Kannur. While there are no injuries and casualties reported after the attack, the BJP suspects CPM to be behind the attack.
According to the reports, the incident happened on Tuesday morning in the area which is close to the local police station. BJP leader Tom Vadakkan held the state administration responsible for the attack and said that such attacks reflected the administration’s failure in maintaining proper law and order. “It is shocking and unfortunate that the law and order situation has deteriorated to the level of hurling bombs at social organizations. And that is not acceptable in civil society”, he said.
Kerala | Visuals from RSS office in Payyannur, Kannur which was allegedly bombed early this morning, leaving the window glass broken pic.twitter.com/ALjpuXNH2K
Further, he was quoted saying that many RSS workers working for the society were attacked in the past and this kind of law and order situation has to be quickly dealt with. “The police and the state administration are answerable for this. The people of Kerala are not going to take this lying down”, he added.
Calling Kannur a sensitive place, Vadakkan reiterated that the state government will be held responsible for damages to any political office in the state. “The police’s connivance is very dangerous. There are instances where the police station is 100 meters away and still nothing happens. Offices are to be protected specially in a sensitive district like Kannur”, he said.
RSS offices and workers have been on the target of political opponents in Kerala since long. In 2021, a 27-year-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker named Pramuk Sanjith was killed by Subair, Salam, and Isahak, all of them natives of Kerala. The incident took place on Kinassery near Palakkad-Thrissur National Highway. There were a total of 15 wounds on Sanjith’s body.
On April 16, 2022, a 45-year-old RSS worker named Srinivasan was attacked by a group of assailants at his shop in the heart of Palakkad town. The BJP then alleged that the Social Democratic Party of India, the political offshoot of the Political Front of India (PFI), was behind the killing of Srinivasan. Reportedly, the incident occurred less than 24 hours after a PFI leader was killed in a village near Palakkad.
Also, in February this year, 26-year-old RSS worker Sharath Chandran of Thrikunnapuzha was killed, and his friend Manoj was injured after a group of 15 persons attacked them at Kumarapuram in Alappuzha. The BJP had then suspected that CPM and DYFI workers were responsible for the killing. However, the police had maintained that the murder had nothing to do with political rivalry.
In the media ecosystem now, there are several propaganda portals that are exclusively trying to publish hitjobs to discredit the evidence unearthed by activists that expose the global Islamist and Hinduphobic network. Post the arrest of Mohammad Zubair, the co-founder of AltNews, several activists have been trying to unearth links of AltNews with George Soros, the “philanthropist” who vowed to destroy PM Modi and other nationalist leaders (and put up a billion dollars for it), and details of their association with other foreign entities that force one to question the motives of AltNews. One such propaganda portal that has actively been trying to doxx, endanger and discredit such activists is Newslaundry.
On the 10th of July 2022, Twitter handle @mission_bhasma posted screenshots of a conversation he had with a Newslaundry journalist who seems to have been exclusively assigned by the outfit to doxx such activists and write hit jobs against them.
The Twitter account told OpIndia that the following conversation was held between him and Prateek Goyal, a “journalist” with Newslaundry. Posting the screenshots, @mission_bhasma said that the “journalist” wanted details of an activist @thehawkeyex and the handle that had tweeted and complained against Mohammad Zubair, the tweet, on the basis of which, an FIR was filed against the AltNews co-founder.
Do you know what?? You should hire some better person who can work better in OSINT.. being hindu I was asked for details of @thehawkeyex by one of your so called journo.. I was knowing that you guys won’t be ready to publish funding details of @zoo_bear ?? pic.twitter.com/Hs6e5mcJOk
In the posted screenshots, the Newslaundry journalist, Prateek Goyal, asks @mission_bhasma over WhatsApp if he can help him get the details of two Twitter handles, @thehawkeyex and @balajikijaiin.
The first handle is one that regularly posts his OSINT research exposing the Islamist, Hinduphobia networks across the globe. This handle had done extensive work exposing the donation fraud of Rana Ayyub, which is now under investigation by ED and is now actively working to unearth details about AltNews, Mohammad Zubair, Pratik Sinha and their seemingly clandestine foreign funding.
The second handle, @balajikijaiin, was one that had tweeted, tagging the police and reporting the Hinduphobic tweet of Mohammad Zubair. Soon after, his handle had been deactivated, sending the Liberals into a tizzy, trying to ascertain his identity, presumably trying to doxx him.
When ‘Bhasma’ responded to Prateek, saying that he is busy for the next couple of days, Prateek insisted saying that he needs the information urgently. He hoped that ‘Bhasma’ would take out the time to help him “today”, given the “urgency of the matter”.
It appears that after this exchange, ‘Bhasma’ did not respond to Prateek. The next morning, Prateek messaged again asking him how he was. On the 3rd of July, Prateek asked again if it would be possible to get information on the two handles, so he could presumably doxx them. ‘Bhasma’ responded by saying that these activists were Hindus and after the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal, he was not comfortable revealing their details. “I will not risk Hindu Lives”, he said.
The concerns about the safety of these activists hardly moved Prateek. He then asked if he could get information on the handles “off the record”. ‘Bhasma’ said that he knows how Zubair and their ecosystem operate, therefore, on or off the record, he would not be providing any details. However, he did offer to provide information on the funding of Mohammad Zubair and the transaction details as proof. To this, Prateek simply said “I will get back to you”, and thereafter, never did.
The exchange between ‘Bhasma’ and Prateek Goyal only proves how Newslaundry has decided to put in harm’s way every individual who dares to go against their established narrative. In the Kanhaiya Lal case, it was his neighbour who had leaked his details, leading to his beheading. In the case of Umesh Kolhe, it was his Muslim friend. In fact, the actions of Zubair led to several Hindus being fired in the UAE in the past and has now led to death, and rape threats being issued to former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
Newslaundry knows fully well that if the identity of these activists is revealed, the risk that they may be at the receiving end of death threats is real and present. Therefore, their urgency to find personal details about them so they can run their hit jobs reeks of a sinister agenda. It almost seems like they are out to extract their pound of flesh after these activists exposed Mohammad Zubair, AltNews, the Islamist and Hinduphobic networks, and several other exposes (like that of Rana Ayyub) that go against their agenda.
One hit job already published, another on the way, by the same Newslaundry journalist
That this is a planned campaign by Newslaundry is evidenced by the fact that the same journalist, Prateek Goyal, has already published a hit job against another activist who has been exposing these networks. On the 9th of July, after failing to get information on the other activists, the same journalist published a hit job against Vijay Patel.
Newslaundry article
At the very outset of the article, they not only reveal where Patel stays, but also their own intentions as to why they are targeting him.
The reason why Vijay Patel was targeted was because several pro-Hindu handles and publications supported him in his endeavours and because he was exposing AltNews, Mohammad Zubair and Prateek Sinha.
Excerpt of Newslaundry article
In the rest of the article, Newslaundry first sneakily publishes his details by talking about his previous company and its details and then, goes on to talk about the 17 articles that Vijay has posted, exposing AltNews.
The entire Newslaundry article was about discrediting the research by Vijay Patel that could prove to be inconvenient for AltNews and its founders. That Newslaundry is doing AltNews’ bidding is also proved by the fact that the Newslaundry journalist simply refused to explore the proof against AltNews and their funding when offered by the Twitter handle he was communicating with.
Thus, it becomes evident that Newslaundry is now on a mission to extract retribution from those whose research could prove to be costly for Mohammad Zubair, now in jail and awaiting bail, for his allegedly clandestine funding from dubious countries like Pakistan and Syria and Hinduphobic tweets that could hurt the communal harmony in the country.
Days after the prosecution complaint was filed against Amnesty International India in a money laundering case, the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed that Aakar Patel who was the director of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL), was also the Trustee of Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) from 2015 to 2019.
The report further revealed that the AIIPL and IAIT were both located on the same premises and were interrelated to each other in their function. According to the reports, the IAIT had complete authority over AIIPL from 15 July 2013 to 12 November 2014, sharing functionaries for the majority of the time since the formation of these two organizations.
The ED investigation into the so-called human rights organization began when the CBI filed a complaint against it for violating FCRA guidelines. The CBI had filed charges against AIIPL, IAIT, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust, and others under Section 120(B) of the IPC, as well as Sections 11, 35, and 39 of the FCRA (Foreign Contributions Regulatory Act), 2010.
Based on the CBI FIR, the ED filed a case and launched an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002. (PMLA). The ED discovered during its inquiry that Amnesty International India Foundation Trust was registered under FCRA to receive foreign money in 2011-12. However, the registration was eventually withdrawn due to negative feedback about the organization. That is when the organization began to allegedly circumvent Indian rules to acquire international contributions without approval.
According to the ED, once Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT)’s FCRA registration was canceled, they constructed profit-making entities to solicit foreign cash in the pursuit of export of services and FDI. To avoid the FCRA method, the group founded AIIPL and IAIT in 2013-14 and 2012-13, respectively, and obtained currency in the form of service export and FDI.
ED filed a prosecution complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) against M/s. Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL), M/s. Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) and others in a money laundering case of Rs.51.72 Crore.
Amnesty International, UK reportedly contributed Rs 51.72 Crore to AIIPL in the guise of FDI and also as payment for the export of services under this new manner of accepting foreign funds even after the termination of the FCRA license. However, the organization could not provide any documentary evidence for the same. No invoices or documentation of agreements between the two parties were filed to the Authorised Dealer Banks for the so-called export of services to Amnesty UK. Similarly, the funds collected in the guise of FDI were utilized for Amnesty International’s standard “civil society activity.” As a result, the organization had breached standards by misusing FDI.
Exposing Amnesty, the ED has also provided a list of initiatives that appear to have been undertaken primarily for financial advantage. There were 47 projects mentioned, including ‘Access for Justice’ in Kashmir (GBP 46,867-Rs 44.5 lakhs), Human Cost of Coal Research Project (USD 90,000.00-Rs 71.5 lakhs), and Mobile Developing and field testing technology (CHF 80,000.00- Rs 64.8 lakhs).
“The scrutiny of the bank accounts maintained by M/s. Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd & M/s Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT), it appeared that M/s AIIPL was misusing the funds received in the guise of FDI for other activities viz; charity, contribution to fund such trusts, which was no way connected the activities for which the FDI had been received and getting contribution from the overseas donor to expand its NGO activities under the mask of service consultancy”, the chargesheet report read.
Hours after ED filed a prosecution complaint against Amnesty International India, the NGO in a series of tweets targeted the national agency and accused it of having violated the principles of natural justice. “The malicious intent of the Enforcement Directorate is evident from the fact that they have yet again issued multiple press releases even before legal notices have reached Amnesty India and Aakar Patel. This is a violation of the principles of natural justice”, it claimed. The NGO also claimed that the organization’s bank accounts had been frozen and that the case was based on the selective leak of information.
Since September 2020, the bank accounts of Amnesty International India remain frozen with no means to pay full dues to ex-employees or for the services of lawyers engaged to fight the multiple court cases initiated by the Government of India. 4/5
In October 2018, the central agency opened an investigation into Amnesty International based on a case registered by the CBI against AIIPL, IAIT, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT), and Amnesty International South Asia Foundation (AISAF) under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and FCRA (Foreign Contributions Regulation Act).
PM Modi had yesterday inaugurated the majestic bronze ‘Ashoka Stambha’, India’s National Emblem on the roof of the new parliament building under construction at Central Vista. Stunning visuals of the new emblem made headlines yesterday on 11 July.
The emblem structure is made up of bronze and weighs roughly 9500 kgs. It is 6.5 metres tall and has been cast at the top of the main foyer of the new parliament building. Another steel structure constructed to support the emblem weighs around 6500 kgs.
This morning, I had the honour of unveiling the National Emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament. pic.twitter.com/T49dOLRRg1
However, since it was PM Modi, the Central Vista Project, a proud symbol of India, and a traditional Puja by a Hindu priest for the inauguration all combined together, the meltdown by the usual whining suspects was quite expected. They proved to be exactly as predictable as always.
Asaduddin Owaisi stated that it was against the ‘constitutional norms’ for the PM to lead the ceremony, as Lok Sabha is not subordinate to the government’.
Constitution separates powers of parliament, govt & judiciary. As head of govt, @PMOIndia shouldn’t have unveiled the national emblem atop new parliament building. Speaker of Lok Sabha represents LS which isn’t subordinate to govt. @PMOIndia has violated all constitutional norms pic.twitter.com/kiuZ9IXyiv
The Wire’s boss S Varadrajan objected to the ‘Hindu’ ceremony. He proclaimed that PM Modi should say his prayers at home and if he wants to do it in the open it should not be at an official event of the Indian Union. He even called the PM a ‘repeat offender’ in this regard.
Screenshot of Tweet by The Wire’s S Varadarajan
So, as per S Varadarajan, doing a Puja is an offence committed by the Prime Minister of India.
The Opposition had its own trauma. Congress fumed that it was not invited to the program, even though it was quite visible that it was a low-key ceremony and not many people were there, even prominent ministers of the government and senior BJP leaders were missing.
Also, Congress has been against the entire Central Vista project and has been fighting it tooth and nail. It was amusing to see that they were fuming over not being invited to the small ceremony of the unveiling of the emblem.
The Left parties went a step ahead. They were more ‘team Varadarajan’ and proclaimed that the Puja ceremony was wrong. CPM said, “National Emblem installation should not be linked to religious ceremonies. It is everyone’s emblem not those who have some religious beliefs. Keep religion separate from national functions.”
CPM statement
CPM’s Sitaram Yechury went a step ahead and straightaway declared the event as ‘unconstitutional’. As per Yechuri, the constitution separates the 3 wings of democracy- the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary.
PM unveiling the national emblem on top of the new Parliament building is a clear violation of our Constitution. The Constitution unambiguously separates the 3 wings of our democracy – the Executive (government), the Legislature (Parliament and state assemblies) & the Judiciary. pic.twitter.com/EOEemrZ9qU
Yechury’s thought process seems weird. The PM was not there undermining Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, the PM was not overstepping or meddling in any parliamentary process. The PM was not declaring himself as the Supreme Leader of the parliament there. The current parliament runs in the old building. That parliament is NOT IN SESSION as of now.
The Central Vista project is by the Central government. The new parliament building is still under construction and when the new building is functional and Lok Sabha is convened in that new building, Speaker Om Birla will preside over it. The Lok Sabha or its MPs are not funding or managing the construction of the new parliament building, the government is. So the head of the government, the PM, has all the right to preside over any ceremonies associated with the project.
The problem is Hinduphobia, and hatred for PM Modi
In fact, the reason behind most of the negative comments and statements is the same, “How dare Modi”? How did Modi dare to unfurl a roaring, majestic symbol of Indian sovereignty on the top of a brand new parliament building that will be his legacy in the very heart of Delhi? How dare he flaunt his ‘Hinduness’ so openly? How dare he ‘change’ Lutyen’s Delhi to India’s Delhi?
We have seen similar outbursts of frustration and negativity each time PM Modi lets everyone know that he is not ashamed of his Hindu identity, but he asserts it proudly. Be it the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the visits to Kedarnath, the Bhoomi Pujan at Ayodhya or the dozens of other instances where PM Modi has let every Indian know that Hindu Dharma is not confined to some narrow religious confines of a mere belief, but it is India’s civilisational identity, the Left and its ecosystem suffers a collective meltdown.
There is no reason why a Puja should not be done at an inauguration or unveiling ceremony. Sanatan Dharma is the civilisational fabric of this land, a couple of words forcefully added into the preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency cannot change this truth. We may be secular in our policies, and administration, but India is a Hindu country. The Left should just learn to deal with it.
On Monday (July 11), ‘United Opposition’ Presidential candidate former TMC leader Yashwant Sinha claimed to prevent the ‘misuse’ of central investigative agencies if he is appointed for the coveted post of the President of India.
He made the remarks during a press conference held in Jaipur. Sinha was accompanied by Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. He suggested that the ‘misuse’ of central agencies will cease immediately after he takes oath as India’s 15th President.
After realising that he does not have the numbers to be appointed as President, Yashwant Sinha appealed to the other side to back him up. He pointed out that the party’s whip was not applicable during Presidential elections and the voting is conducted through a secret ballot.
Sinha further alleged, “There is communal strife and attempts are being made to dethrone elected governments in various states. It was seen recently in Maharashtra and in Goa.” He also launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over rupee-dollar exchange rate and economic growth.
“This is also a fight against those agencies which are being misused by the Centre. I do not know what will happen to me after the elections,” he was heard as saying.
The former TMC leader also appeared to have cast aspersions on the integrity of the outgoing President Ramnath Kovind. “If we talk about the last five years, it was a period of silence in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. We saw a silent President,” Sinha claimed.
The political turncoat also tried to rationalise his decision of switching parties. He claimed that there used to be politics of consensus during the Vajpayee era while it has been confined to conflict during the tenure of PM Narendra Modi.
President of India is only a nominal executive
It must be mentioned that India follows a Parliamentary system of government and that the powers of the President are limited. Unlike the United States, the President of India is a nominal Head of State.
He cannot take decisions on his own and acts only on the advice of the Council of Ministers, headed by the head of the government i.e. the Prime Minister. As such, Yashwant Sinha’s claim to stop the alleged misuse of central agencies is not rooted in truth.
The elections for the 15th President of India are scheduled to take place on July 18 this year. From the complex maths behind the crucial election, it becomes evident that Yashwant Sinha has marginal to negligible chances of winning.
On July 11, a video of former WWE wrestler Dilip Rana alias The Great Khali went viral on social media platforms. He was seen arguing with the toll workers of Ladowal Toll Plaza near Phillaur in Punjab. In the video, Khali alleged the toll workers were blackmailing him while the toll workers were alleging he slapped one of them. At the same time, the toll workers were asking him to show ID cards.
Viral Video of Argument between WWE Superstar ‘The Great #Khali‘ and Toll workers, Somewhere In Punjab. pic.twitter.com/MsCdPslcLs
Reports suggest that Khali was going to Karnal from Jalandhar. Khali alleged the toll plaza employees wanted to click photographs with him, but he refused. After that, the toll plaza workers allegedly mistreated him.
The toll plaza workers could be seen surrounding his vehicle and arguing with him. There were barricades in places to stop Khali’s car from moving ahead. Meanwhile, a PCR van reached there, and the toll plaza workers removed the barricades. A Police officer approached to understand the situation. Both toll plaza workers and Khali could be seen telling the Police officer their own versions of the incident.
As the barricades were removed, Khali’s driver moved his car. When a toll plaza worker tried to put the barricade again, Khali stopped him and walked towards his car. At that time, the toll plaza worker called him a monkey while pointing the way he was walking.
Khali left WWE a few years back and moved back to India. He now runs his own academy known as Continental Wrestling Academy in Jalandhar, where he prepares new wrestlers.
