On Tuesday, a plea challenging a Gauhati High Court order, which upheld the Assam Repealing Act of 2020 under which all existing provincialized madrassas in the state are to be converted to regular government schools was moved to the Supreme Court
The High Court on February 4 dismissed the petition challenging the validity of the act, stating that such state-funded institutions can’t impart religious instructions. The appeal has been filed by 13 petitioners, who are residents of Assam.
Plea in SC challenging Assam govt’s decision to convert madrassas to general schools
According to the reports, the plea, filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed, quoted, “The high court has erroneously observed that the petitioner madrassas being government schools, and wholly maintained by the State through provincialization are hit by Article 28(1) of the Constitution of India and as such, cannot be permitted to impart religious instruction.”
The plea further stated that the operation of the high court judgment, which was delivered on February 4, 2022, would result in the discontinuation of the petitioner madrassas as madrassas and would prevent them from admitting students for the old courses for this academic year. “The land and building belonging to the madrassas are taken care of by the Petitioners and the expenditures on electricity and Furniture are borne by the Petitioner Madrassas themselves”, it read.
The plea added that the Act takes away property coupled with statutory recognition of madrassa education and the impugned order dated February 2, 2021, issued by the Governor disbands the ‘Assam State Madrasa Board’ created in 1954. “It amounts to an arbitrary exercise of both legislative and executive powers and amounts to a denial of the petitioner madrassas’ ability to continue as madrassas providing religious instruction coupled with religious education”.
The Assam Repealing Act, 2020 repealed Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialization) Act, 1995 and the Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialization of Services of Teachers and Reorganization of Educational Institutions) Act, 2018. The Governor of Assam had granted his assent to the bill on January 27, 2021.
Assam has 189 state-run high madrasas and madrasa higher secondary schools that are run under the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council. There are also 542 state-run pre-senior, senior, and title madrasas and Arabic colleges which are run by the State Madrasa Education Board. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated that the government cannot be funding religious schools. The new Act had stopped government funding to Sanskrit tols too.
On Monday (May 31), unidentified miscreants vandalised idols at a Hindu temple in Arsikere taluk in Hassan district of Karnataka. The incident has created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety in the area.
As per reports, the vandalism took place at the Exhibition Center of Chikka Tirupati (mini Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh) temple, which is located on the Amaragiri Malekal Tirupati Hill. The sacred place is estimated to be 300 years old.
According to the police, four unidentified miscreants created a ruckus within the temple premises. Despite opposition by devotees, they smoked cigarettes and intimidated the workers employed at the site. As per police, over 10 idols were vandalised.
They then went into the Exhibition Centre and vandalised the idols that were to be inducted into the temple. Reportedly, the accused men used rods to destroy the idols of Hindu deities.
Having realised the sensitivity of the incident, District Superintendent of Police R. Srinivas Gowda and other senior police officials went to the crime scene. They summoned the dog squad and forensic experts to collect fingerprints of the miscreants.
When the news of the idol vandalism spread, Hindu activists and devotees gathered at the temple premises. A large contingent of police was deployed to avert any law and order situation. A probe has been initiated into the matter.
Cases of idol vandalism from Karnataka
Earlier in March this year, some unidentified miscreants vandalised the idol of Goddess Saraswati present inside a government primary school in Chikkodi taluk of Belgaum district.
During the attack, the marble idol was severely damaged. Two of the four hands of the deity were broken, along with Her Veena. A complaint was lodged with the Chikkodi police.
In October last year, Baikampady Karkera Moolasthana Jarandaya Daivastana and Naga Brahma Peeta were destroyed by miscreants at in Mangaluru in Karnataka. Besides, the accused broke open the cupboard, threw all the belongings, and destroyed the gates of the temple.
In April 2021,two people were arrested in connection to an incident where a condom was found in a temple’s Hundi (Donation box) in Manguluru. The temple belonged to the local Manguluru deity Lord Koragajja, who is considered an avatar for Lord Shiva. The arrested were identified as Raheem (32) and Taufiq (35).
Workers of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra protested against BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma on Tuesday for allegedly making ‘blasphemous’ statements about Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate. Members led by Minister of Housing, Minority, and Wakf, Jitendra Awhad, NCP Mumbai Chief Anand Paranjape, and Shanu Pathan assembled at the Darul Falah Masjid in the Mumbra area in Thane, Mumbai and demanded Sharma’s immediate arrest.
Hundreds of people gathered on the streets blocking the passage of vehicles during the protest. At the protest, Shakir Shaikh, Maisar Khan, Sakib Date, Marjiya Pathan, Najim Buber, and others backed Shanu Pathan, who sought Sharma’s immediate arrest. The NCP workers also chanted slogans such as “Nupur Sharma Murdabad”. Several women also joined the protest against Nupur. The demonstrators who were obstructing the traffic were eventually detained by the police.
This comes a day after Mumbra Police filed another FIR against Nupur Sharma under several sections of the IPC for allegedly inciting hatred and inciting religious emotions. Two separate cases against Sharma have already been filed in Mumbai and Bhivandi.
Following a Times Now news discussion on Thursday evening, Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair dog-whistled an online mob against Sharma, accusing her of disrespecting Prophet Muhammad. Other Islamists backed him up, with several threatening her and her family with murder and rape.
While speaking at a gathering, AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi also tried to incite his supporters against Nupur Sharma. Owaisi said he is appealing to Prime Minister Modi to punish BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma for making a statement about Prophet Muhammad, as any remark on Prophet Muhammad is not acceptable to him.
During a debate on Times Now over the disputed Gyanvapi structure, Nupur Sharma argued that if people are criticising Hinduism, they can also criticise other religions, referring to Islamic teachings. Zubair from Alt News took the video out of context and shared it with his Twitter followers, calling Nupur a communal hatemonger capable of instigating bloodshed.
Immediately, troll accounts appeared on Nupur Sharma’s timeline, threatening her with numerous threats, including threats to behead her, indicating that the dog-whistling had succeeded. In other similar situations, such as those involving Kamlesh Tiwari and Kishan Bharwad, a similar type of threat resulted in their deaths.
On Monday, the Allahabad High Court refused to interfere in a plea that challenged the magistrate’s order dismissing an application filed seeking FIR against alleged stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for his tweet, which insulted the Indian National Flag. Kamra in November 2020 had tweeted a morphed picture of the Supreme Court and had replaced the Indian Tricolor atop the apex with the flag of a political party.
According to the reports, the petition that was filed by Advocate Saurabh Tiwari stated that Kamra’s actions had hurt the feeling of the people of this country and had caused contempt and disrepute to the Indian National Flag. The Varanasi Court on May 27 filed a case against Kamra for willfully and deliberately replacing the Tricolor hoisted atop the apex court with the flag of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971.
Screenshot from Twitter
The provisions that were prayed by the petitioner were under section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971, sections 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) of the India Penal Code. However, the criminal provisions were rejected by the CJM Court and the Additional District Judge (ADJ). The petitioner had then moved to the High Court who further refused to interfere in ADJ’s decision.
Judicial Magistrate Richa Sharma has registered the complaint case also under section 200 and has sought the complainant’s affidavit as to whether the Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the offence under the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act,1971 or not.
Supreme Court initiated contempt of court proceedings against ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra-
Supreme Court in December 2020 had issued a notice to Kunal Kamra seeking contempt proceedings after his contemptuous remarks against the Judiciary in his bid to become a liberal ‘hero’ or a ‘martyr’. In one of his tweets, he had shown CJI Arvind Bobde the middle finger and in another, he had painted the Supreme Court in saffron colour to allege that it had become a puppet of the NDA Government.
In the first tweet, Kamra compared the Supreme Court to a Supreme Joke. In the next tweet, he wrote, “The pace at which the Supreme Court operates in matters of “National Interests” it’s time we replace Mahatma Gandhi’s photo with Harish Salve’s photo.”
Screenshot from Twitter
In the third tweet, he compared DY Chandrachud to “flight attendant serving champagne to first-class passengers after they’re fast-tracked through, while commoners don’t know if they’ll ever be boarded or seated, let alone served.” In the last tweet, he provoked lawyers to stop using the prefix “Hon’ble” while referring to the Supreme Court or its judges. He said, “Honour has left the building long back.” Kamra had also posted a morphed image of the Supreme Court building giving it an Orange shade with the BJP flag hoisted in the Supreme Court’s entrance.
Screenshot from Twitter
On the issue of criminal contempt against the ‘comedian’, the Supreme Court issued a notice on January 29 last year. In his response, Kamra had stated that his tweets were not aimed to diminish people’s faith in the judiciary and that there is no defence for jokes and should not be treated as reality.
Other Court cases against Kamra-
Recently, in March this year, advocate Chandni Preeti Vijaykumar Shah had written to the Attorney General for India KK Venugopal seeking to initiate criminal proceedings against the ‘comedian’ under the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005. Kamra had insulted India’s National Emblem by using it in a morphed certificate that shamed the agony of the Kashmiri Pandit genocide and blatantly mocked the film ‘The Kashmir Files’.
I am a person of Law, I shall always abide by it.
A letter to the AG for India Shri K.K. Venugopal for initiating criminal proceedings against comedian turned habitual offender Mr. Kunal Kamra under the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005. pic.twitter.com/0UjRyfIwtz
— Chandni Preeti Vijaykumar Shah (@adv_chandnishah) March 23, 2022
Two lawyers- Advocate Ashutosh Dubey and Advocate Vineet Jindal in the same month further had written to the Attorney General of India, KK Venugopal requesting permission to commence contempt proceedings against the stand-up comedian for vilifying and defaming the Indian judiciary in his recent ‘comedy’ video.
I have requested to Hon’ble Chief Justice Of India and Supreme Court Of India to initiate proceedings against Alleged Comedian “Kunal Kamra” for criminal contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. https://t.co/FGF9tZsDfKpic.twitter.com/boZ6uOTKss
— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY ?? (@AdvAshutoshBJP) March 5, 2022
Kunal Kamra in one of his videos uploaded on his YouTube channel had made derogatory remarks against the SC. While speaking about the contempt of case filed against him in the top court, Kamra had said, “Dear SC, kal ki baat bhul ja, l**da pakad ke jhul ja (forget yesterday’s talk, come swing on p**is)”. Kamra in the video further had said that he had more respect for the food court in the shopping mall that the apex court and alleged that the SC is a ‘Brahmin Baniya’ affair and it did not represent different cultures.
Also, earlier this month, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had taken action against Kamra who had posted a doctored video of a minor boy singing an Indian patriotic song in Germany. The NCPCR had taken the cognizance of the video in which Kamra had edited a song sung by a 7-year-old boy amid his interaction with PM Modi. The boy had sung the song named ‘Hey Janmabhoomi Bharat’ which was replaced by Kamra with lyrics ‘Mehengayi daayan khaaye jaat hain’. The NCPCR had written to the social media company and had sought immediate removal of the video.
The NCPCR has demanded strict action against the ‘comedian’ who has violated the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The doctored video has, however, been deleted by Kamra.
The Viral Fever (TVF) has done many good things for the world of Indian web series, maybe the best thing they did out of them all was to introduce Jitendra Kumar to the Indian audience. The undisputed king of the Indian web series industry has delivered another massive hit with the second season of the much-acclaimed show Panchayat which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Jitendra Kumar, who is a Civil Engineer from IIT Kharagpur, did what most engineers do, stay away from their engineering major in their profession. Civil engineering’s loss was art’s gain as he rose to become a star on Indian television.
The 31 years old Jitendra joined TVF nearly a decade back and since then, he has been riding one wave of success after another as he has become a household name through TVF’s realistic shows about Indian youth and their struggles.
Even though regular followers of Jitendra were familiar with his work on various TVF sketches which were uploaded on YouTube, his big break came on TVF’s massive hit Pitchers where he played a frustrated techie brilliantly. The show about 4 friends trying to launch a start-up was a huge success and Jitendra’s performance was one of the main reasons behind it. Anyone who has ever been stuck in a dead-end corporate job could relate to Jitendra’s situation, and let’s face it, most of us are stuck in a dead-end corporate job.
After the massive success of Pitchers, Jitendra kept appearing in TVF sketches regularly during the next few years. However, it took 4 years for him to deliver his next memorable performance. The endearing ‘Jeetu Bhaiyya’ of Kota Factory, a series based on the struggles of engineering aspirants in the education hub of Kota. A series that was supposed to highlight the students in the show, became more popular due to Jitendra, who played a Physics teacher on the show.
‘Jeetu Bhaiyya’ became an internet sensation as TVF delivered yet another mega-hit show. However, all the success of Pitchers and Kota Factory was going to pale in front of what was coming next, Panchayat. One of the most successful web series of all time in India, Panchayat has now delivered 2 successful seasons back to back.
Centered around Jitendra Kumar’s character ‘Abhishek Tripathi’, Panchayat takes you to rural India and makes you fall in love with it, as Jitendra does in the show.
While biggies like Netflix are burning money all over the place and wondering how to crack the Indian market, TVF has already shown it multiple times how to get it done. Take a simple story about real India, tell it effectively, put Jitendra Kumar at the center of it and you have a big hit.
With several big hits behind him, Jitendra Kumar has proven that he is the most bankable star today in the world of Indian web series. The combination of TVF’s writing staff and Jitendra’s acting has proved to be unstoppable so far, and long may it continue.
In an alleged money laundering case, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has ordered Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain to be held in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till June 9th. Following his arrest on Monday, Satyendra Jain was brought before the court today.
Delhi minister Satyendar Jain sent to Enforcement Directorate custody till 9th June in an alleged money laundering case
Senior advocate N Hariharan appeared before the court representing Satyendar Jain whereas Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for Enforcement Directorate.
Satyendar Jain, the Delhi Health Minister and a prominent Aam Aadmi Party leader, was arrested on Monday, May 30 in connection with a money laundering case involving a Kolkata-based firm and hawala transactions.
On August 25, 2017, the CBI filed an FIR against Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case. Based on this FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the ED initiated a criminal case against the AAP leader, alleging that Jain could not clarify the source of cash received by four firms in which he was a stakeholder. From 2010 to 2014, the firms allegedly laundered Rs 16.39 crores in funds.
In April of this year, the Enforcement Directorate seized immovable properties worth Rs. 4.81 crore from Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others under the PMLA, 2002. The action was undertaken in response to the lawsuit alleging disproportionate wealth and money laundering against AAP minister Satyendar Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, including others.
According to government sources, Jain surrendered black money in the form of cash worth Rs 16.39 crore, which was laundered through shell companies in Kolkata for the purchase of 200 bighas of land, under the Income Disclosure Scheme (IDS) 2016 on the Benami names of Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, when questioned by the IT Department.
The prosecution of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain for disproportionate assets and money laundering was authorised by the Home Ministry in November 2019.
On Sunday (May 29), the English daily ‘The Times of India (TOI)’ provided a platform to the Indian-origin British journalist Hasan Suroor to give sermons on secularism. Hasan Suroor was arrested for the sexual grooming of a minor in 2015 but was later acquitted by a UK court.
In an article titled, ‘RIP Secularism: Let’s try a Hindu democratic Republic of India (T&C apply)’, Hasan Suroor resorted to false equivalence to paint Hindus as the aggressors and the Muslims as the victims of ‘majoritarianism’.
At the very onset, Hasan Suroor misled his readers about the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991. He suggested that the reclamation of ‘Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Idqah in Mathura’ was not possible due to the existence of the contentious Parliamentary law.
Screengrab of the article in The Times of India
The columnist insinuated that Hindus must give up their claim on the destroyed Kashi Vishwanath temple complex by alleging “that no more historic disputes in relation to other religious structures would be entertained (by the Supreme court).”
Opindia had earlier reported how there are certain exemptions within the Places of Worship Act and how they can be used to reclaim the disputed structure.
If the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declares the Gyanvapi mosque as an ‘ancient monument’ under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, given that the remnants of the temple are over 100 years old, the disputed structure will not fall under the ambit of the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
The usual false equivalence trope by Suroor
“For those of us who lived through the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir nightmare, there’s a whiff of déjà vu about it with the usual suspects on both sides of the communal divide recycling familiar arguments and stoking passions,” Hasan Suroor claimed.
He tried to draw a false equivalence to trick the readers into a mirage of ‘neutrality.’ Given that one side (the Hindu community) has been the victim of cultural genocide and civilizational erosion, they cannot be blamed for staking a claim on what rightfully belongs to them.
The Gyanvapi mosque was destroyed by Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb in 1669 and there is ample evidence for the same. Despite being aware of the wrongdoings of the past, the Muslim community has not conceded the disputed structure to the Hindu side and instead been firm in their assertion of not losing ‘one more masjid.’
The perpetual victim card
Hasaan Suroor then tried to paint the Muslim community as ‘victims’ by suggesting that the odds are heavily stacked against them.
“The reality is that we are where we are, and the effort now should be to try and find a way out of the mess. And given how heavily the odds are stacked against Muslims and how much they have at stake in resolving the crisis, they must be prepared to make some hard choices,” he wrote.
By doing so, the columnist tactfully shifted the debate from the denial of historical wrongdoings by Islamic invaders to the State’s failure of secularism. Instead of acknowledging that it is wrong to idolise the invaders, he claimed that Muslims have no option but to accept the ‘majoritarian-isation of Hindu public opinion.’
“The idea that Hindus have the first claim over India has become deeply ingrained, even among many liberals,” Suroor asserted although former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had suggested otherwise in 2006.
Pinning the blame on Hindu ‘majoritarianism’
“This is not a plea for abandoning secularism altogether or suddenly embracing a theocratic Hindu state but to look for a model in tune with contemporary political and social realities. A new deal underpinned by realism rather than idealism,” Hasan Suroor remarked.
He further claimed, “This would mean finding the right balance between minority rights and the majority community’s sensitivities. The Hindu sense of grievance, real or imaginary, will have to be addressed in the larger interest of India’s unity.”
The British columnist shrewdly cast aspersions on the genuine concerns of the Hindu community and tried to suggest that the grievance might have been ‘imaginary.’ Far from realism and idealism, Suroor insinuated how Muslims will have to give in the ‘majoritarianism’ based on ‘real or imaginary grievances of the Hindu side.’
With a clever choice of words, the columnist was able to brush aside the concerns of the Hindus. Thus, Hasan Suroor’s article is a subtle attempt at fear-mongering, coated with an ounce of victimhood and packaged as an ‘alternative solution’ to supposed Hindu ‘majoritarianism’.
Allegations of paedophilia against Hasan Suroor
In November 2015, it was reported that Hasan Suroor was apprehended by the British Transport Police after he allegedly tried to sexually groom a 14-year-old.
As per reports, the journalist was caught when he tried to meet the underage girl in person. He had allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to the girl during a sting operation set up by an anti-paedophile group called Unknown TV.
Hasan Suroor had reportedly told the girl that he would be ‘gentle’ when the conversation centred around having sexual intercourse. He admitted that he had ‘conversations of a sexual nature with a minor’ and that he offered to buy condoms for the girl.
When confronted by Unknown TV, he pleaded innocence and claimed, “I told her I don’t want to (have intercourse). She came on Facebook herself. I was just waiting to buy her some coffee. Can you let me go with a warning? I have a clean record.” A video of the confrontation is still available on Youtube.
However, a year later, Hasan Suroor was acquitted by the Blackfriars Crown Court due to a lack of evidence. In a written submission in June 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said, “Following a further review of the case there is now no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”
On May 31, controversial singer and Congress leader, Sidhu Moosewala’s cremation was held at his ancestral agricultural land in Mansa district’s Moosa village. Attended by lakhs, it was an emotionally overwhelming situation for his father, Balkaur Singh. As a mark of respect to the attendees, Moosewala’s father removed his turban and thanked the attendees with tear-filled eyes.
Earlier, his father had written to CM Bhagwant Mann demanding justice in the murder case. He blamed the government for his son’s death and demanded an inquiry done by a sitting judge of the High Court.
He said, “Because of the failures of your government, my son Shubhdeep Singh has left us forever. Shubhdeep’s mother keeps asking me where is her son and when will he be back home. What should I tell her? I request you to do justice to my family.“
Source: punjabijagran
The inquiry, in this case, should be done under a sitting judge of the Honourable High Court. The Government of Punjab should get support from CBI and NIA in the inquiry.
Secondly, those officers should be held answerable who reviewed my son’s security and gave the order to withdraw it.
My son promoted Punjab across the world with his talent, but DGP connected his murder to a gang war. DGP Punjab should apologise for his statement.”
Sidhu Moosewala’s murder
Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead on May 28 in district Mansa, Punjab. Multiple rounds were fired at his vehicle. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Lawrence Bishnoi gang took responsibility for the murder, alleging Moosewala was involved in the murder of one of their gang member, but Police did not take any action against him.
Maharashtra Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has lashed out at the Maha Vikas Agaadi (MVA) government after BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar was barred from entering Choundi, the birthplace of Maratha Queen Ahilyabai Holkar on her birth anniversary. Fadnavis said that while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is organizing a political event on her birth anniversary, it is a dire attempt to hijack her legacy through the institutions of the state.
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of 18th Century Maratha Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, it has been a tradition in Maharashtra that leaders from all political parties reach her birthplace in Choundi, a village in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. There, they pay their respects to the legendary queen on her birth anniversary. This year, NCP leader Sharad Pawar organised a rally at Choundi to mark the ceremony.
Meanwhile, a convoy of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar, who was going to Choundi, was stopped by the police. He was accompanied by political leader Sadabhau Khot, President of the Rayat Kranti Sanghatana and other party activists. The resultant skirmish between Padalkar’s supporters and the police caused a traffic jam on the Ahmednagar-Solapur road. Reportedly, BJP MLA from the Karjat-Jamkhed area, Prof. Ram Shinde who belongs to the lineage of Ahilyabai’s family was also restricted from entering the event.
After the development, Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadanvis was quick to lash out at the NCP for turning Ahilyabai’s Jayanti into a ‘political event’. “Ahilya Devi’s birth anniversary is always celebrated without any party affiliation. People from all parties come there, but this time using government machinery, an attempt was made to hijack the legacy of Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar. This is highly condemnable,” he said.
BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar who has a history of speaking out against NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar has been adamant about reaching Choundi to pay his respects to Devi Ahilyabai. While talking to the media he asked, “If this is supposed to be a social function, what is Rohit Pawar (Pawar’s grandson) doing on the stage? Have you ever seen him earlier here? Sharad Pawar, who has completed 50-60 years in politics has never come here. What was the sudden need to appear at Choundi?”
Padalkar said that while (the NCP) is trying to whitewash Ahilyabai’s history, they’ve done nothing to conserve the ancestral fort of the Holkars at Wafgaon. “I’ve been coming at Choundi every year since I was 18. Pawar was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra four times, and yet he never felt the need to come here. They have descended here in 2022 and are accusing us of making it political,” he asserted.
Moreover, he alleged that leaders of the MVA government are trying to erase the real history of Ahilyabai Holkar. he said, “The pious works of Ahilyabai in Maharashtra and the whole of India to restore our temples are not being acknowledged. Ahilyabai resurrected the Hindu religion in a way. Subedar Malharrao Holkar went to Kashi in an attempt to restore the Gyanvapi. The whole of the politics of these people has been anti-Hindu, then what gives them the right to enter Ahilyabai’s birthplace?”
It should be noted that Gopichand Padalkar is a major political figure among the leaders of the Dhangar caste in Maharashtra, to which Ahilyabai Holkar also belonged. Since Padalkar’s elevation in the BJP, the Dhangars have also moved to the BJP in the recent elections.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has resorted to the Congress’s style of insulting Prime Minister Modi after its leader, Satyendar Jain, was arrested in connection with a money laundering case. The Twitter handle of AAP Himachal Pradesh tweeted a derogatory poster demeaning PM Modi and referring to him as a ‘Chor.’
The text of the tweet reads, “Tell who is the thief? #Satyendar_Nahi_Modi_Chor_Hai.” In the image shared with the tweet, it is mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a thief because he has sold the state’s properties to Adani and Ambani with an image of PM Modi watermarked ‘FRAUD.’
A screenshot of the tweet by AAP Himachal Pradesh
The tweet comes in the wake of the Enforcement Directorate arresting Delhi’s Health Minister in a money laundering case. Satyendra Jain, the Delhi Health Minister and a key Aam Aadmi Party leader, was arrested on Monday, May 30 in a money laundering case involving hawala transactions by a Kolkata-based business.
Under the PMLA, 2002, the Enforcement Directorate temporarily attached immovable assets worth Rs. 4.81 crore owned by Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others in April this year. The move was taken in conjunction with a complaint filed against AAP minister Satyendra Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and others for disproportionate assets and money laundering.
It should be related that similar statements were made by Rahul Gandhi, a Wayanad MP and Congress politician, who twisted a Supreme Court judgement and made similar remarks. While campaigning at a rally in April 2019, Rahul Gandhi remarked that the Supreme Court judgement states, “Chowkidar Chor Hai.” This was in response to the Supreme Court overruling the Centre’s principal objections to the media reports produced by review petitions in the Rafale case.
The court, on the other hand, claimed that it had never said so. Rahul Gandhi tendered an unconditional apology after the court issued a notice in a contempt case filed by BJP spokeswoman Meenakshi Lekhi, mentioning that he made the comment in the heat of election campaigning.
