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Toronto Metropolitan University issues apology for platforming maker of Hinduphobic film ‘Kaali’, disassociates itself from Leena Manimekalai

OpIndia Staff
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Toronto Metropolitan University issues apology for platforming maker of Hinduphobic film ‘Kaali’, disassociates itself from Leena Manimekalai

The Toronto Metropolitan University (formally Ryerson University) has tendered an apology for having its name associated with the film Kaali and the Hinduphobic poster created by Kollywood filmmaker Leena Manimekalai to promote her film. The statement was released in regards to the university-sponsored event where the movie “Kaali” was screened and filmmaker Leena Manimekalai released her poster showing Hindu Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette.

In the letter of apology, the university said that the TMU department that hosted the event is committed to taking steps to address the issue and acknowledges the need to handle such complex topics more sensitively. The statement was issued in the context of the screening of the film ‘Kaali’.

The Hinduphobic movie by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai was to be shown at the “Under the tent” project at the Aga Khan Museum and was organized by Toronto metropolitan university’s Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration or CERC Migration.

Toronto Metropolitan University, however, disassociated itself from filmmaker Leena Manimekalai. The University said that though it takes full responsibility as the host of the event where the Hinduphobic movie was screened and the ‘Kaali’ poster was displayed, it wanted to “make it clear that the student in question is not a TMU student and their poster was not reviewed or approved by TMU.”

Image credit: Twitter user @CoHNAOfficial

“The university would like to apologise for the oversight on our part and for any upset and disappointment this may have caused,” read the letter.

Aga Khan Museum tenders apology, stops screening of Hinduphobic film ‘Kaali’

Notably, on July 6, the University had also decided to stop the screening of the Hinduphobic movie ‘Kaali’. In reply to the query by Wion News, the University said that the film ‘Kaali’ would not be part of the further screening of the ‘Under The Tent’ event. It said, “We recognize the short film has caused sensitivities and have no further plans to screen it at this time.”

Toronto Metropolitan University had also added a statement on the event’s details page. In the statement, the CERC Migration department of the University said, “We regret that certain content in our Under the Tent presentation on Saturday, July 2 has caused offense and we are taking steps to address this. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion while at the same time respecting the diversity of beliefs and points of view in our society. We acknowledge the need to explore and examine complex topics sensitively.”

A day prior to this, Aga Khan Museum had also issued a statement and tendered an apology for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindu and other faith communities.

It is noteworthy that the High Commission of India in Ottawa had urged the Canadian authorities to withdraw the screening of an objectionable film named after Hindu Goddess Kaali. 

Following social media outrage, filmmaker says she has nothing to lose

After the film director, Leena Manimekalai issued a poster depicting Maa Kaali smoking, there was an outrage on social media against the film. In reply to the criticism, Leena had remarked, “I have nothing to lose. I want to be with a voice that speaks without fear of anything until it is. If the price is my life, I will give it.” She has not issued any statement after the screening stopped.

Elon Musk pulls out of the $44 billion deal, Twitter vows to take legal action: Here is why it happened

OpIndia Staff
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Elon Musk pulls out of the $44 billion deal, Twitter vows to take legal action: Here is why it happened

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pulled out of the $44 billion Twitter deal, alleging that the social media giant breached provisions of the merger agreement.

As per reports, the lawyers of Elon Musk have claimed that Twitter failed to provide information about fake bots/spam accounts, which is integral to the company’s business performance.

“Twitter is in material breach of multiple provisions of that Agreement, appears to have made false and misleading representations upon which Mr. Musk relied when entering into the Merger Agreement,” they argued in a recent filing.

Musk also justified his decision, claiming that Twitter breached its agreement by firing 1/3rd of the talent acquisition team and several high-ranking executives.

Twitter vows legal action against Elon Musk

Reportedly, the contract signed between Musk and Twitter shareholders called for a $1 billion breakup fee, provided the Tesla CEO failed to honour the deal. This included reasons such as blockade of the deal by regulators or lack of acquisition financing.

However, the contract made it clear that if Musk terminated the deal on his own, then, the break-up fee would not be applicable. Aggrieved by the sudden development, Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor informed that the Board would pursue legal action against Elon Musk.

He tweeted, “The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.”

According to Tulane Law School Associate Dean, Ann Lipton, the Tesla CEO has been making up excuses to get rid of the deal. She stated that the Twitter Board is in a strong position to fight it out in court.

The rationale behind Musk’s decision to abandon the Twitter deal

On May 13 this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the 44 billion dollar Twitter deal had been temporarily put on hold, subject to the estimate that less than 5% of users on the micro-blogging platform were spam/fake accounts.

“Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users,” Musk had tweeted. He had also shared the link of a Reuters report dated May 2, 2022.

As per the report, Twitter Inc. in a filing has noted that fewer than 5% of 229 million users, who were served ads, during the first quarter of 2022 were false/ spam accounts.

“Twitter said in the filing it faced several risks until the deal with Musk is closed, such as whether advertisers would continue to spend on Twitter and potential uncertainty regarding our future plans and strategy,” the report added.

Musk had earlier stated that one of his main priorities is to rid the micro-blogging platform of spam accounts. However, later Elon Musk tried to allay concerns about the deal by tweeting that he is “still committed to acquisition” of Twitter.

Pranay Pathole, a well-recognised fan of Musk, explained that Twitter’s count of spam accounts was not transparent. He said, “Transparency establishes trust.”

“It is definitely not < 5% fake/spam accounts on the platform. It doesn’t make sense to pay the same original price of $44bn if it turns out that the actual number of bot/fake accounts are higher than 20%. Elon had made a deal based out on their public filings,” he justified Musk’s decision.

Future of Twitter and immediate aftermath

On July 8, Twitter informed that it removes about 1 million spam accounts every day. It claimed that such accounts represented less than 5% of its total active user base in each quarter.

“To calculate how many accounts are malicious spam, Twitter said it reviews “thousands of accounts” sampled at random, using both public and private data such as IP addresses, phone numbers, geolocation and how the account behaves when it is active, to determine whether an account is real,” a report by Reuters read.

Meanwhile, Twitter share prices have suffered a major blow amidst the uncertainty over the ownership of the social media company. Analyst Daniel Ives remarked, “This is a disaster scenario for Twitter and its Board as now the company will battle Musk in an elongated court battle to recoup the deal and/or the breakup fee of $1 billion at a minimum.”

Madras HC says non-Hindus can enter temples if they have faith in the diety: Why the recent comments in the order are problematic

Nupur J Sharma
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Madras HC says non-Hindus can enter temples if they have faith in the diety: Why the recent comments in the order are problematic

On the 4th of July, Madras High Court passed an order that could open Pandora’s box. In response to a PIL about not allowing the entry of non-Hindus during the Kumbabishegam festival of Arulmighu Adikesava Perumal Thirukovil at Thiruvattar, the Madras HC said that those non-Hindus who have faith in the deity cannot be prevented from entering the temple or offering prayers to the deity.

The petition was filed by one C Soman, in response to a Christian minister being invited for the Hindu festival.

The prayer in the petition said:

Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a writ of mandamus directing the respondents not to permit the Non-Hindus to enter the temple premises during Kumbabishegam festival in the Arulmighu Adikesava Perumal Thirukovil at Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari District and subsequent event scheduled on 06.07.2022.

The court, in its order said:

In our considered opinion, when a public festival like the Kumababishegam of a temple is performed, it will be impossible for the authorities to check the religious identity of every devotee for the purpose of permitting his entry into the temple. That apart, if a person belonging to another religion, has faith in a particular Hindu deity, that cannot be prevented nor can his entry into a temple be prohibited. It is common knowledge that the devotional songs of Dr K.J.Yesudas, a Christian by birth, rendered on various Hindu Gods are played without any demur in temples. In fact, in Nagore Dargah and Vailankanni Church, scores of Hindus worship.

There are certain operative parts of what the Madras HC said, taking a “broader perspective” on the issue and dismissing the PIL, saying it was “devoid of merits”.

  1. It would be impossible for the authorities to determine who is a Hindu and who is not.
  2. If a Christian has faith in a Hindu deity, then they can’t be stopped from entering the Temple.
  3. KJ Yesudas, a Christian by birth, has sung many devotional songs in Temples.

The Court in this judgement seems to have waded into territory that can open Pandora’s box. The Judiciary cannot determine the Hindu faith and what individual temples and festivals should or should not do. Such judgements can also have a cascading effect on the practices of several other temples in India.

For example, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple allows only Hindus and those who declare their faith to be Hinduism to enter the temple and offer prayers. The Court, in its wisdom, did not want to take a ‘parochial view’ but a ‘broad perspective’, however, such pronouncements can then be used to demand that non-Hindus be allowed in several other temples where rules dictate that only Hindus can offer prayers.

The court further said that if a non-Hindu has faith in the Hindu deity, then he cannot be stopped from entering the Temple. A matter of faith cannot be determined by the court, certainly. In fact, when the court says that the administration will not be able to determine who is a Hindu and who is not, it has to consider that establishing the faith of a non-Hindu in a Hindu deity is far more difficult.

KJ Yesudas, who is a Christian by birth and has sung many devotional songs, also needed to approach the court to seek permission to enter the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. Even in this case, it was the Temple committee that had unanimously decided to let Yesudas enter the temple and offer prayers, not the judiciary. “Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple executive committee has decided to permit Yesudas to visit Padmanabhaswamy temple. Yesudas filed an undertaking that he has belief in the Hindu faith and is ready to follow the temple traditions,” V Ratheesan, a member of the temple’s executive committee, had said. “The decision was unanimous… all members who took part in the meeting agreed to accept the legendary singer’s request. Now, we will formally inform him about the temple committee’s decision… It is up to him to decide the date of the visit to the shrine,” Mr Ratheesan had said.

Ideally, the Court should have simply dismissed the case saying that it is a decision that the temple has to take independently, without the interference of the court, to determine if they wish to allow non-Hindus or not.

The Judiciary often looks at Hinduism from an Abrahamic view where principles of universal morals need to be applied, however, in Hinduism, every temple and every Sampradaya would have its own traditions and culture. In the case of Sabarimala, the outrage was precisely for this reason. Women, who did not even belong to the Sampradaya wanted to dictate what devotees should or should not do. They wanted to impose their modern moral construct on the devotees who only wanted to follow the tradition of the deity they had faith in. However, the Judiciary interfered and assumed to dictate the contours of the Hindu faith.

Justice Indu Malhotra, who had given a dissenting view in 2018, had said:

Justice Malhotra observed that religion can lay down a code of ethics, and also prescribe rituals, ceremonies etc. which are also regarded as an integral part of religion and hence are to be protected as a religious belief. She said, “The religious practice of restricting the entry of women between the ages of 10 to 50 years, is in pursuance of an ‘essential religious practice’ followed by the Respondents. The said restriction has been consistent, followed at the Sabarimala Temple for years.” 

She had further said:

“In a pluralistic society comprising of people with diverse faiths, beliefs and traditions, to entertain PILs challenging religious practices followed by any group, sect or denomination, could cause serious damage to the constitutional and secular fabric of this country.”

It is indeed true that if the courts start deciding what the contours of the Hindu faith are, it would hurt the secular fabric of the nation and infringe on the right of every Hindu to practise their faith freely. In this case, it is to be kept in mind that the Temple invited the non-Hindu for the festival and a devotee had approached the court. In my personal view, the court should have simply said that it will defer to the wisdom of the Temple and not interfere either way. However, to foist their own sensibilities and make comments accordingly, to define how a Temple’s conduct should be, is a dangerous path to tread. Hinduism is not a monolith and interference by the court only encourages temple practices to be ingringed upon. The comments, in this case, could have far-reaching ramifications and have a cascading effect on several other cases, where Hindu practises are wantonly challenged.

TMC leader Wasim Raza offers Rs 5 lakh bounty for Nupur Sharma’s head, later edits the Facebook post

OpIndia Staff
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TMC leader Wasim Raza offers Rs 5 lakh bounty for Nupur Sharma’s head, later edits the Facebook post

The series of death threats to Nupur Sharma and the announcement of bounties by Islamists for beheading her has not stopped yet. In another such incident, a leader of the Trinamool Congress has announced a bounty on her head. On June 2, TMC leader Wasim Raza had announced Rs 5 lakh bounty for Nupur Sharma’s head. The Muslim leader in West Bengal shared a post in this regard from his Facebook profile and gave death calls to Nupur Sharma for her allegedly insulting remarks against the Prophet Muhammad. However later he edited the post to demand Nupur Sharma’s arrest instead.

In his Facebook post, Wasim Raza wrote, “I Wasim Raza, ashique rasool, with all responsibilities announces Rs 5 lakhs on Nupur Sharma’s arrest. Brothers, please share this post as much as you can for the love of our prophet Muhammad Sallallaho alaihiwasallam.”

Wasim Raza cleverly updated his original post and added the word arrest with an appeal of sharing the post.

However, this was not his original post, and he had edited his Facebook on 30th June 2022. In the edit history of the message, his original post is seen in which there is no mention of the arrest. Rather, Wasim Raza clearly declared the bounty for Nupur Sharma’s head, which makes his post a call for her beheading.

Wasim Raza’s original post is a clear call for beheading.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga shared some photographs of Wasim Raza on Twitter in which he is seen with top TMC leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

In his Facebook account, Wasim Raza has posted several photos and videos that make it clear that he is a TMC leader. In April 2021, he had posted a video showing him participating in a TMC march.

Ironically, Wasim Raza calls himself a human rights activist. He is a member of the Asian Human Rights Society. Analyst Anshul Saxena tweeted, “A man Wasim Raza from Kolkata announced a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on Nupur Sharma’s head. You can see the edit history of his post. And, who is Wasim Raza? A member of the Asian Human Rights Society. Yes, he’s a so-called human rights activist.”

Nupur Sharma is continuously getting death threats for her allegedly insulting comments on the Prophet Muhammad. Even those who support her on social media are also getting death threats. Kanhaiya Lal of Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe of Amravati were beheaded by the Islamists for sharing social media posts supporting Nupur Sharma.

India seeks Interpol’s help after hackers from Indonesia, Malaysia wage cyber war against her over Nupur Sharma incident 

OpIndia Staff
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India seeks Interpol’s help after hackers from Indonesia, Malaysia wage cyber war against her over Nupur Sharma incident 

India has sought Interpol’s help to nab two hacker groups called ‘Dragon force Malaysia’ and ‘Hacktivist Indonesia’, which waged a cyber war against the country over former BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad.

After attacking government websites, the two groups asked Muslim hacker groups from across the world to join them in their attack, which they claim is in response to Nupur Sharma’s comments on a news channel debate.

“Over 2,000 websites were hacked by hacker groups. Ahmedabad cybercrime has written to Malaysian and Indonesian governments along with writing to Interpol for lookout notice for both groups,” said Amit Vasava, DCP, Cyber Crime, Ahmedabad.

Reveling the detail, the DCP said: “Dragon ForceIO of Malaysia and Hacktivists of Garuda of Indonesia have claimed to have hacked 2000+ Indian Websites which includes Government Department, Educational Institutes, Businesses, and Industries, etc. Confidential data has been leaked from such websites which include details like, Government Files and Data, Aadhaar cards of some persons, Pan card and Passport details of some citizens, Details of Policemen of Andhra Pradesh Police, DishTV data,”

A lookout notice for both groups has been issued for both the groups which hacked over 2,000 websites.

‘Dragon Force Malaysia’ had launched an attack called OpsPatuk or “strike back” against India, which was discovered by Bengaluru-based cyber security firm CloudSEK. The group shared Indian users’ social media credentials, including usernames and passwords, to enable others to launch attacks.

DragonForce, based out of Malaysia, has reportedly worked with several threat groups in the past, including the T3 Dimension Team and ReliksCrew, and has sympathies for the Palestinian cause.

Flash floods caused by cloudburst hits tents of pilgrims near Amarnath cave, 13 reported dead while several still missing

OpIndia Staff
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Flash floods caused by cloudburst hits tents of pilgrims near Amarnath cave, 13 reported dead while several still missing

On Friday 8th July 2022, at around 5:30 pm, an unfortunate cloudburst took place near Amarnath cave, washing away pilgrims. According to reports, at least thirteen persons have died in the incident. The exact number of the missing people is also not known yet. The teams of the National Disaster Relief Force and the State Disaster Relief Force are carrying out rescue operations. Indo Tibet Border Police teams are also assisting them. The NDRF has rescued three persons so far. Several people are still reported to be missing.

The cloudburst triggered flash floods that swept way the tents of pilgrims near the holy cave, causing panic among the pilgrims. The Amarnath Shrine Board will soon share the helpline number so that the family members of the pilgrims will be able to contact the authorities and get information about their kind.

The flood damaged at least 25 tents and three community kitchens at the base camp outside the shrine.

Several videos from the site have emerged on social media showing the extent of damage.

According to a report by Aaj Tak, around 8 to 10 thousand pilgrims joined the Amarnath Yatra today and the enthusiasm was at its peak. The scenes changed with the calamity. NDRF director general Atul Gadhwal said, “A team is deployed just near the holy cave of Baba Amarnath. The teams deployed in the nearby locations are also redirected to the spot where this mishap took place. It is not yet confirmed how many people were present there at the time of this incident and how many of them died.”

He further said, “Rescue operation here is a challenging task. The main challenge is the changing weather. Among others, there are the terrain and the altitude. But our team members are very well trained. It should not be any problem for them. The state government will publish the helpline number. Shri Amarnath Shrine Board will also share the helpline numbers. We will work in cohesion with them.”

Atul Gadhwal further told, “There are many camps to accommodate the rescued people. Paramilitary soldiers are also deployed there. One helipad is also there. The injured people will be sent back from there. Due to bad weather, Jammu and Kashmir Police will also accompany the injured pilgrims in order to ensure their safety. The medical teams of the Border Security Force and the Central Reserved Police Force is also there.”

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, “I have talked to the LG Manoj Sinha who briefed me about the flash flood near the cave of Baba Amarnath due to the cloudburst incident. NDRF, CRPF, BSF, and the local administration are giving their best in rescue operations. Saving lives is our priority. I pray for the safety of all the pilgrims.”

This is the second major natural calamity in India that happened in a span of eight days. On 30th June 2022, there was a landslide in Manipur that claimed many lives. The rescue operations in Manipur had hardly come to an end when the cloudburst incident took place near Amarnath cave in Kashmir.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad publishes Bajrang Dal helpline numbers to help Hindus under threats by Islamist jihadis

OpIndia Staff
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Vishwa Hindu Parishad publishes Bajrang Dal helpline numbers to help Hindus under threats by Islamist jihadis

On 8th July 2022, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) published a list of Bajrang Dal helpline numbers for different states to help Hindus under threats by Islamist jihadis. The organization also declared that it will soon publish another list of helpline numbers that will cover the remaining areas of the country not included in the first list.

From its official Twitter handle, Vishwa Hindu Parishad tweeted, “Hindus under threat or victimized by jihadist forces may approach our Bajrang dal Helpline numbers or their respective areas. Numbers for the rest of the states will be released soon.”

The list covers Bajrang Dal helpline numbers from various states in India, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Laddakh, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Earlier, VHP had published a list with the names of the Bajrang Dal members in the respective areas. But owing to security reasons, the list was modified and the names have been excluded.

On 6th July Dr. Surendra Jain of VHP published a video address in which he declared that the Bajrang Dal members will help the Hindus who are getting threat calls from the Islamist jihadis. He had also said that VHP will publish the helpline numbers. Accordingly, the VHP shared the list on 8th July 2022.

It is notable that there has been a situation of communal disharmony in the country after the violent protests by Islamists against Bharatiya Janata Party’s former spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her allegedly insulting remarks against the Prophet Muhammad. Those who supported Nupur Sharma on social media are getting death threats from Islamists. In Udaipur, a Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded on June 28. In Amravati, a chemist Umesh Kolhe was beheaded on June 21. Islamist jihadis are threatening many other Hindus in the country for supporting Nupur Sharma. Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have come ahead to help such Hindus under threat.

Mumbai Court issues bailable warrant against Sanjay Raut in defamation case filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife Medha Somaiya

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Court issues bailable warrant against Sanjay Raut in defamation case filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife Medha Somaiya

On Friday, the Shivdi Court issued a bailable arrest warrant against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in Mumbai. The warrant was issued based on the defamation complaint that was filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife Medha Somaiya. The Court maintained that Raut had committed an offense under section 499 (defamation) and section 500 (Punishment for defamation) of the IPC.

The information was made public by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on July 8. Sharing the copy of the Court order on social media, Somaiya tweeted, “Warrant issued against Sanjay Raut by Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate for an offense under sec 499, 500 IPC in the complaint of Medha Kirit Somaiya”.

According to the reports, Medha Somaiya, wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, had filed a complaint against Sanjay Raut alleging him of making malicious and unwarranted statements against her and her husband in the media. She had asked the officers at the Navghar Police Station to book him under sections 503, 506, and 509 of the IPC.

Medha also had alleged that Raut intended to criminally intimidate and threaten her with an attempt to indulge in her character assassination without any proof. Later on May 24, she filed a defamation suit against Raut seeking Rs 100 crore as damages.

This is after Sanjay Raut, editor in chief of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, had published in the daily that Medha Somaiya was involved in the ‘toilet scam’ worth Rs 100 crores. The article stated that Medha had built unauthorized toilets and had cut mangroves without getting the requisite permissions from environmental authorities. It also added that she had looted the public money in the name of toilets and was leading a ‘fake and fraudulent NGO named Yuva Pratishthan.

According to the complaint filed by Medha Somaiya, the article was picked up by the other print and digital media to create an image that she was involved in the scam. “These defendants (Raut and others) have denigrated and tarnished image of the plaintiff (Somaiya) in the eyes of the general public, etc such imputation which by itself harms her reputation is per se defamatory and actionable”, the defamation suit read.

To note, escalating the war of words with BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had charged the leader of being a part of the ‘toilet scam’. “It is just hilarious how he’s come from INS Vikrant to such levels of fraud and committed a toilet ghotala. I was amused when I looked at the papers. How documents were made up. I will soon come out with the details. The NGO Yuva Pratishthan which they are running and the family is involved and we have all the fake bills that were made,” Raut was quoted.

Reportedly, the Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate has issued a bailable warrant against Sanjay Raut for committing an offense under section 499 (making or publishing any imputation) and section 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Telangana HC rejects actress Sai Pallavi’s petition over her comments on Kashmir genocide, asks her to appear before police

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana HC rejects actress Sai Pallavi’s petition over her comments on Kashmir genocide, asks her to appear before police

The Telangana High Court has rejected the appeal of actress Sai Pallavi to allow her to defy the notice issued by Hyderabad’s Sultanbazar police for her statements on the Kashmir genocide. On Thursday, a bench headed by Telangana High Court Justice Lalitha Kanneganti rejected the plea brought by Sai Pallavi.

Sai Pallavi argued in her plea that the complaint made against her was illegitimate and arbitrary. However, the Telangana High Court bench led by Justice Lalitha denied to interfere and ordered her to appear before the police.

The police issued the notice in response to a complaint filed by Akhil, a Bajrang Dal leader, who alleged that she made statements in an interview equating cow vigilantism to genocide in Kashmir. On June 21, she was summoned to appear before the police.

Background

On June 13, a segment of actress Sai Pallavi’s interview with Great Andhra went viral on social media sites, in which she equated the horrible genocide of Kashmiri Hindus to isolated incidences of violence against cattle smugglers in an attempt to claim she is ‘politically neutral.’

Pallavi stated in the interview that she feels the deaths of Kashmiri Hindus and the attack on Muslim cattle smugglers were the same and that both should not have occurred. Speaking about The Kashmir Files, a film by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, Pallavi said, “In Kashmir Files movie, they showed how Kashmiri Pandits were killed.” She drew a parallel between the killings of Kashmiri Hindus, the brutal attacks on the Hindu community in the valley and the attack on cattle smugglers by locals.

She said, “But recently in covid time, some Muslim guy taking a cow in a vehicle was attacked and forced to chant Jai Shri Ram slogans. So if you are talking about religious conflict, what is the difference between the two incidents? That happened then, this happened now. What is the difference? The thing is, we should stay fair and just. If we are not good humans, we won’t be just. If you are just and stand with justice, all will be ‘neutral’ around you.”

Sai Pallavi attempted to contrast the genocide of an entire ethnic community, which was carried out by Islamists in the valley with explicit help and funding from Pakistan, with isolated incidents of violence in which cattle smugglers (most of whom were Muslims who slaughtered the animals for meat) stealing cows were stopped and beaten by locals.

Cattle smuggling is an organised crime that operates throughout India, with the victims being impoverished farmers who rely on cattle for a living.

Rajasthan: BJP Kisan Morcha protests against delimitation of gram panchayats in Deeg, accuse Gehlot govt of favouring Muslims

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: BJP Kisan Morcha protests against delimitation of gram panchayats in Deeg, accuse Gehlot govt of favouring Muslims

On Wednesday, July 6, the members of the BJP Kisan Morcha in Deeg Tehsil in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan dug pits and sat inside them as a mark of protest against the Ashok Gehlot government for delimiting nine Gram Panchayats of Deeg Panchayat Samiti and merging them with the Sikri and Nagar Panchayat Samiti. The villagers alleged that the grand old party’s compulsive practice of appeasing minorities has prompted the Ashok Gehlot government to take this arbitrary decision as the delimitation would ultimately favour the Muslim community.

According to reports, the villagers led by BJP Kisan Morcha state spokesperson Nem Singh Faujdar have been peacefully protesting near the Bharatpur-Alwar highway in Deeg tehsil for the last 16 days against the Rajasthan government’s delimitation notifications. On Wednesday, however, the villagers dug 51 pits and since then have been taking turns to sit in them to protest day and night. They said that they would continue to do so until the government does not take back its decision to merge nine Gram Panchayats of Deeg Panchayat Samiti with Sikri and Nagar Panchayat Samiti.

Speaking about the state government’s decision, Nam Singh, the state spokesperson for the BJP Kisan Morcha, said that the Ashok Gehlot Government’s ultimate goal is to aid the members of a particular community. He said that if the nine Gram Panchayats of Deeg Panchayat Samiti are merged with Sikri and Nagar Panchayat Samiti, basic facilities like the police station and government offices will be out of reach for these villagers because Sikri will be too far away for them.

Nem Singh Faujdar further said that there would be a strong agitation if the administration did not take their warnings seriously. He said that three Gram Panchayats had already been merged but the notification to add the remaining six Gram Panchayats was arbitrary and illegal. He said that this delimitation is being done in violation of the law in order to benefit a specific community. “We will do whatever it takes to stop this delimitation process. We will stop the rail and block the road, even if we have to commit self-immolation, we will, but will not allow the government to act arbitrarily,” said Nem Singh Faujdar.

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