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‘Don’t cancel projects because of corruption allegations by BJP’: Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar to BMC chief

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t cancel projects because of corruption allegations by BJP’: Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar to BMC chief

Shiv Sena leader and Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has written to incumbent Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Chahal, asking him to not cancel tenders/ decisions made by the Standing Committee before March 8 this year.

Urging the civic body administration to not get bogged down by corruption allegations, she requested Chahal to not change decisions made by the Standing Committee.

“Many corporators and officials called me saying that some decisions taken before March 7 were tweaked. I don’t know how true this is, but I have written a letter that says decisions that were cleared by the general body must not be changed,” she wrote.

The Mumbai Mayor claimed, “Some opposition party leaders are trying to get decisions changed. The administrator must not tweak any decisions till the new general body is elected in the next four months. You can make new decisions as an administrator, but if you change old decisions, then it is not fair.”

It must be mentioned that the BMC elections will be held in October- November this year and that the tenure of Shiv Sena in the civic body ended on March 7, 2022. Thereafter, the Maharashtra government appointed BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal as the civic body’s administrator.

While speaking about the matter to Free Press Journal, Pednekar claimed, “I am not disappointed with the administrator. I have only made suggestions to him.” BMC Commissioner has however claimed that no decision by the Standing Committee was cancelled by him.

The development comes after BJP had alleged corruption while awarding contracts for some of the projects, including a ₹160-cr tender for constructing a tunnel laundry and a ₹291 crore project for building new animal enclosures in Byculla.

Both of these projects were cancelled by the BMC Commissioner, although they did not have the approval of the Standing Committee. According to BJP leader Prabhakar Shinde, the Sena had bypassed rules and approved several project proposals in the Standing Committee.

“Many times they didn’t allow BJP members to even speak during the meeting. If proposals and decisions which are not related to public interest have been cancelled by the commissioner then we welcome move,” he added.

NCPCR Chief pulls up journalist for glorifying madarsas, says depriving children of education in the name of the madarsa is a violation of child rights

OpIndia Staff
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NCPCR Chief pulls up journalist for glorifying madarsas, says depriving children of education in the name of the madarsa is a violation of child rights

‘Independent journalist’ Ranvijay Singh who often writes op-eds in mainstream media publications was seen glorifying Islamic preaching schools or madarsas on Twitter. In a tweet on Monday, he ascertained that madarsas are nothing but normal schools. He said, “History, Civics, Mathematics, Science and Urdu/English/Hindi are also taught in madarsas. By studying from a madarsa, children also become IAS, they will be made in future also. Do not raise your eyes after seeing Arabic words, read a little and let them study.”

Screengrab of Tweet from @ranvijaylive

To this assertion, Priyank Kanoongo the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights (NCPCR) flagged Ranvijay Singh’s tweet saying it is nothing but a glorification of madarsas devoid of their grim reality. What followed was a heated exchange wherein Kanoongo asserted that depriving children of basic education in the name of madarsas is a violation of their child rights. “It violates Article 21 ‘A’ of the Constitution,” he wrote.

Screengrab of Tweet from @KanoongoPriyank

To this, Singh was quick to rebut stating, “According to this statement of the NCPCR Chief, governments should be prosecuted because the government itself is running the madrasa. Further quoting Urdu poet Shauq Bahraichi, he said, “Just one owl was enough to destroy. But while an owl is sitting on every branch, what will happen to the tree?”

Screengrab of Tweet from @ranvijaylive

Responding to Singh’s allegations, Kanoongo clarified that the government does not run unmapped madarsas. He further stated that more than 1.25 crore children have been forced to study in the Islamic religious schools, which follow the syllabus made by Aurangzeb. He quoted a report drafted by NCPCR in March 2021 which documents the education of children in India studying in the minority communities.

Screengrab of Tweet from @KanoongoPriyank

The Report by NCPCR

Titled the ‘Impact of exemption under article 15(5) W.R.T. Article 21 (A) of the constitution of India on Education of children of minority communities,’ the report by NCPCR examines exemption under Article 15 (5) of the Constitution has benefited the children of minority communities. The report combines secondary data analysis of the trends regarding minority schools as well as consultations with their stakeholders such as students, teachers and principals.

Asserting that the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India makes the Right to Education a fundamental right for children between 6-14 years, the report studies the impact of the exemption made to this law for education institutes belonging to religious minorities.

Article 15(5) empowers the government to form any policy for the upliftment of the socially backward classes, thus accelerating affirmative action in private unaided schools in India. However, it has been made inapplicable to minority schools along with the exemption under RTE Act.

Observations of the report

The report came up with detailed statistical data on the condition of minority school education in the country. The key findings were as follows –

  1. The Christian community which makes up 11.54% of the total religious population, contributes to 71.96% share of the total religious minority schools in the country.
  2. The Muslim community despite contributing a share percentage of 69.18% to the religious minority population in the country, contributes only 22.75% to the religious minority schools.
  3. 85.33% of minority schools secured their Minority Status Certificate from 2006 onwards. A sharp increase was observed in schools securing the Certificate post passage of the 93rd Amendment in 2006.
  4. A glaring revelation came when it was found that 62.50% of students in minority schools belong to non-minority communities. In the states as UTs of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand this percentage goes up to more than 70%.

The above data collected in the report shows the grim picture of minority schools in the country being run for disseminating religious fundamentalism, extremism and acting as a means of conversion under the garb of religious doctrine.

The report contains certain key recommendations that were put forward, owing to the education of minority children. It includes –

  1. Mapping of all Unrecognised Institutions during Survey to Identify Out of School Children Greater role of the Minority Cell in NCERT/ SCERTS to take the fundamental right to elementary education to all children especially children of minority communities.
  2. Need for appropriate steps to extend the provisions of RTE to minority educational institutions or make laws with similar effect to ensure RTE of children studying in minority educational institutions.

Jug Jugg Jeeyo controversy: T-Series hits back at Pakistani singer, says ‘Nach Punjaban’ rights were legally acquired

OpIndia Staff
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Jug Jugg Jeeyo controversy: T-Series hits back at Pakistani singer, says ‘Nach Punjaban’ rights were legally acquired

On May 24, Music Record Label and Film Production Company T-Series issued a statement refuting the claims of Pakistani singer and politician Abrar-Ul-Haq that the song was stolen for Dharma Production’s upcoming film Jug Jugg Jeeyo.

In the statement released on social media accounts of T-Series, the company wrote, “We have legally acquired the rights to adapt the song Nach Punjaban from the album Nach Punjaban released on iTunes on January 1, 2002, and is also available on ‘Lollywood Classics’ YouTube channel, owned and operated by Moviebox Records Label, for the film Jug Jugg Jeeyo produced by Dharma Productions. All due credits shall be included across all platforms when the song releases.

As represented by Moviebox Records Label, the said song copyrights exclusively vest with Moviebox only with all valid documents.”

Moviebox Records Label, a UK based Record Company, also issued a statement on Twitter and said, “Nach Panjaban has been officially licensed for it to be included in the Film “JugJugg Jeeyo” by T-Series. Karan Johar and Dharma Productions have the legal rights to use this song in their film, and the tweet by Abrar-Ul-Haq earlier today is defamatory and completely unacceptable.”

The song is available on two channels. On Moviebox Pakistani, the original version of the song is available.

It is also available on Lollywood Classics, a YouTube channel maintained by Moviebox. This version of the song was used in the ‘Kaun Bane Ga Carorpati’, a 2002 Pakistani film. That particular film is also available on another channel maintained by Moviebox.

Abrar-Ul-Haq, on the other hand, claimed that the song had not been licensed to anyone. He said, “Song “Nach Punjaban” has not been licensed to anyone. If someone is claiming it, then produce the agreement. I will be taking legal action.”

The controversies around Jug Jugg Jeeyo

Dharma Production’s upcoming film Jug Jugg Jeeyo is scheduled for release in June. Within hours of the trailer release, controversies erupted around the film. First, Vishal A Singh, a creative executive producer and Chartered Accountant, accused Dharma Productions of using a script he shared with them in 2020 for their latest film. Then Abrar-Ul-Haq claimed his song was picked for the film without permission.

Jug Jugg Jeeyo starring Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, and Neetu Kapoor, is produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, and Apoorva Mehta. It is directed by Raj Mehta. The film deals with the sensitive subject of divorce and separation with a comic touch.

Madrasas, Assamese history, and Rahul Gandhi: Here is what Assam CM said at the ‘Organiser’ event

OpIndia Staff
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Madrasas, Assamese history, and Rahul Gandhi: Here is what Assam CM said at the ‘Organiser’ event

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was invited as a guest at the ‘Media Mahamanthan’ event, organized to commemorate 75 years of Organiser and Panchjanya on Sunday, May 22. During the event, he spoke on an array of issues, ranging from madrasas to changing demographics in Assam.

Addressing the issue of madrasas, the Assam Chief Minister said, “All madrasas should become non-existent. As long as they remain in the public consciousness, Muslim children can never become doctors and engineers. If you seek the opinion of such children and give them the liberty to choose between a normal school and madrasa, then none would choose madrasa.”

“Getting children enrolled in madrasa is akin to violating human rights, given that their door to a prosperous career gets shut. I don’t have a problem with Islamic studies or teachings of the Quran but the focus must remain on the teaching of Science, Maths, and Biology,” Sarma added.

The Assam CM further said, “As such, madrasas should become non-existent. There should be a prevalence of normal education. You can teach religion at home, if necessary for 2-3 hours. Keep schooling mainstream such that the Muslim children can become doctors, engineers, and scientists.”

“When I talk about shutting down madrasas, I am not doing it for the welfare of Hindus but for Muslims. Similarly, when we talk about Uniform Civil Code (UCC), we are not doing it for the Hindus, it doesn’t apply to them. But, it applies to the practitioners of Islam,” he pointed out.

Himanta Biswa Sarma further emphasized that none could be a bigger friend to Muslims than those who advocate bringing in UCC and shutting down schools imparting Islamic education. “We are the greatest fans of Indian Muslims. People like Owaisi should be regarded as enemies of Indian Muslims,” the Assam Chief Minister had said.

Congress and Dynasty politics

During the program, Himanta Biswa Sarma was quizzed about his experience while working with both the BJP and the Congress. In response, the Assam CM recounted his experience of working for Congress for 22 years by stating, “There is nothing beyond the Gandhi family in the Congress. The party members put out statements in the public domain that if you defy the Gandhis, then you have defied the nation. Within the Congress party, the Gandhi family is equivalent to the nation.”

He further pointed out how the nation is above electoral politics in the BJP. “In my party, individuals and leaders come second to the nation. If you say the same to the Gandhi family, then, your job will be terminated.”

The firebrand BJP leader also hit out at Congress scion Rahul Gandhi for limiting the idea of nationhood to a ‘Union of States.’ He asked, “If India is merely a Union of States, where does our 5000-year-old history fit in? Rahul Gandhi is making it sound like a contract of States with the Centre.”

He lambasted the Congress leader for encouraging secessionism in the country. “He is saying that States negotiated to be a part of India. It is like giving them an option to re-negotiate and go about their own way,” Sarma said.

The Assam CM added, “I don’t blame Rahul Gandhi. He must be tutored by his advisors, who graduated from JNU.”

Assam history and debate on Hindi

During the ‘Media Mahamanthan’ event, Himanta Biswa Sarma also pointed out how most Indians are oblivious to the legacy of military commander Lachit Borphukan. “Assam resisted Islamic invasions 17 times. We did not let any Khilji or Aurangzeb expand (their empire) up to our land. People in the rest of the country must know this history,” he emphasized.

He also shared that the Assam government will commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan this year.

On being asked about the ‘linguistic debate’ that rages in the country from time to time, the Assam CM said, ” I do not think that this is a big issue. The National Education Policy (NEP) recognizes the significance of mother tongue and emphasizes education in the same language.”

The Assam Chief Minister opined that if an Assamese boy has to work in a factory in Uttar Pradesh, then learning Hindi will be useful in such a case. “Read and study in your mother tongue and if you learn Hindi for the sake of employment, then I do not see a problem in it,” he concluded.

Changing Demographics of Assam

During the event, Sarma also highlighted the dangers of demographic change in India. “In Assam, Bhartiya people are in minority, illegal immigrants are in majority and it is our duty to bring Bhartiya people in the majority,” he stated.

The Assam CM pointed out that the arson attack at the Batadrava police station by a frenzied mob was the fallout of the demographic change in Assam. “Whatever response was required, we gave it overnight. I don’t think that they will dare to do it again.”

It must be mentioned that on Sunday (May 22), the houses of 5 such rioters were razed down by the Nagaon administration in the Salonbari village of Assam.

The Assam Chief Minister also informed that about 6000 hectares have been freed by the BJP-led government from illegal encroachment. He further shared that about 1-1.5 lakh hectares of land are still under illegal occupation.

CM Sarma said that 16 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the state are the prime hotspots of encroachers, out of which 4 have been freed. “Our immediate objective is to stop illegal land encroachment, to not lose more constituency in Assam,” he said.

He informed that Assam has a 36% Muslim population, which can be divided into 3 categories: Indigenous Muslims, converted Muslims, and Miya Muslims (immigrant Bengali Muslims).

Fact-check: Did the UP govt ask some beneficiaries to surrender their Ration Cards under new ration card rules? Here is the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Fact-check: Did the UP govt ask some beneficiaries to surrender their Ration Cards under new ration card rules? Here is the truth

Several rumors have been spread on social media by the usual propagandists alleging that the Uttar Pradesh government has framed new laws for the retention of a Ration card, asking some individuals to surrender their cards with specific recommendations.

According to rumours, the Uttar Pradesh government issued directives stating that anyone with a motorcycle, a poultry farm, a dairy, any piece of land, or a house in an urban locality is no longer eligible for ration cards. They were accordingly instructed to return the ration card, and if they do not, the market value of the food grains allocated to them would be recovered from them subsequently.

However, The Uttar Pradesh government has stated that no fresh orders relating to the surrender or cancellation of ration cards had been issued by the government. It further stated that no such order has been issued, neither by the government nor by the respective departments.

Sourabh Babu, the commissioner of food and civil supplies, confirmed that the eligibility/ineligibility criteria for home ration cards were established by a Government order dated October 7, 2014, and that no further adjustments have been made since then. He further stated that no cardholder may be found ineligible because they possess a pucca home under the government programme, have an electricity connection, own a solo weapon licence, ride a bike, or operate a poultry/cow producing farm.

The government order.

According to him, the department always distributes new ration cards to eligible beneficiaries based on their eligibility, and from April 1, 2020, to the present day, the department has granted a total of 29.53 lakh new ration cards to qualifying recipients in the state.

The commissioner indicated that orders for ration card authentication based on eligibility criteria were issued from time to time, but no modifications to the criteria have been made after 2014.

Saharanpur: Imam arrested for killing his 8-months pregnant wife after suspecting she was pregnant with a girl, tried to blame the murder on ‘7-headed Kali’

OpIndia Staff
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Saharanpur: Imam arrested for killing his 8-months pregnant wife after suspecting she was pregnant with a girl, tried to blame the murder on ‘7-headed Kali’

In a shocking incident from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, an Imam killed his 8-months pregnant wife inside the mosque by throwing her off the roof of the mosque. As per reports, the Imam suspected that his wife was pregnant with a girl while he wanted a boy, so he killed her. The Imam apparently discovered she is pregnant with a girl based on his ‘tantra’ education.

The Imam, who killed his wife in a mosque located on 62 Futa Road in the Qutub Sher police station area, has been arrested by the police. The accused has also admitted to committing the murder. The accused told the police that his wife was eight months pregnant when he came to know from his system that his wife is pregnant with a girl while he wanted a son. Afterward, he pushed his wife from the roof of the mosque 12 days ago and she died, and then he buried her dead body. The police got the dead body of the woman removed from the grave on Sunday.

Qutub Sher police station in-charge Piyush Dixit said that the Imam of the mosque, Usman son of Hussain, was arrested by the police near the mosque on Sunday afternoon. Usman told that he was married to Hina and Hina was eight months pregnant. The Imam revealed during the interrogation that he wanted a son from Hina, but she was pregnant with a daughter. After that, on May 12, he called Hina to the mosque on some pretext and took her to the roof of the mosque, and pushed her from the roof.

Hina fell on her head, due to which she died in the mosque itself. After this, the Imam told Hina’s mother Khurshida that it was a tantric action that resulted in her death. When Khurshida reached the spot of the crime, she saw that Hina’s body had cuts on her neck, nose, and ears. To pacify Khushida, Usman repeatedly said that a 7-headed Kali caused her death and Khurshida was advised not to complain lest she brings disrepute to the mosque.

After which Khurshida did not complain and handed over the dead body to the Imam. However, 9 days later, suspecting foul play, she met the SSP of the region and raised suspicions over her son-in-law’s role in her daughter’s death. Following that, police conducted an investigation and arrested the culprit.

Congress leader Dr Udit Raj shares a meme mocking Adivasis; netizens slam him for stereotyping tribals

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader Dr Udit Raj shares a meme mocking Adivasis; netizens slam him for stereotyping tribals

Congress leader Dr Udit Raj, while taking a dig at Uttar Pradesh’s action against illegal Ration Cardholders has made a derogatory meme against Adivasis (Tribals). In a recent tweet, he has mocked the primitive lifestyle of Adivasis and superimposed that with the poor nearly having any clothes to wear.

On Monday, the Chairman of Unorganized Workers & Employees Congress, Dr Udit Raj shared a meme on Twitter with a picture of a partly naked tribal with a caption, “Now this is the bare minimum requirement for getting a Ration card.” Raj tried to suggest that tribals who willingly live a primitive lifestyle being cut off from civilization are poor and that such extreme poverty would be essential to get a Ration card issued in UP.

Screengrab of a Tweet from @Dr_Uditraj

With the meme, the Congress leader was seen criticising the UP Government’s action against illegal beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana releasing new eligibility criteria for holding a legal Ration card. According to the new rule, the monthly income of the family should be less than Rs 15,000. Also, the family should own less than 2 hectares of irrigated land to become eligible for getting affordable or free ration. Clearly, a family with a monthly income close to the given bracket does not live the way Raj pointed out.

Netizens slam Dr Udit Raj for stereotyping tribals through his meme

This angered Adivasi activists, Tribal workers and people from the community who flagged Raj’s characterization of tribals showing them in poor light. He faced a backlash for his tweet, after which some Twitter users went haywire.

Screengrab of a Tweet from @KraantiKumar
Udit Raj
Screengrab of a Tweet from @Bhil_Binita
Udit Raj
Screengrab of a Tweet from @_INDN

A Twitter user also alleged that the Congress party has not sent any person from the Tribal communities to the Rajya Sabha for the last 36 years. Dr Udit Raj who styles himself as a voice for Dalits and the oppressed was himself caught casually stereotyping Adivasis while he played his politics on social media.

Udit Raj
Screengrab of a tweet from @Bohrakiran2

After the controversy erupted on Twitter and people started calling him out, Dr Udit Raj justified his tweet by saying that he did not mention that the person in his tweet was a tribal when he shared the image.

He tweeted, “Some tribal well-wishers are so foolish that in this picture they are seeing the reflection of tribal society. Are there not tribal ministers, officers, teachers, or traders? Will they keep comparing themselves to this? Do they not have the right to wear suit-boots? Such mindless tribals are the enemies of the society.” He further said that people are misquoting him to deviate from the topic of the debate. However, Dr Udit Raj could not dissociate himself from his tweet with many people calling him out over his recent tweet.

At PFI rally in Alappuzha, Muslim boy chants for death to Hindus, offering ‘Suhoor’ at Babri again, probe ordered: Here are the hate comments made

OpIndia Staff
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At PFI rally in Alappuzha, Muslim boy chants for death to Hindus, offering ‘Suhoor’ at Babri again, probe ordered: Here are the hate comments made

Kerala Police have launched a probe after a video of a Kerala boy making provocative slogans against Hindus and Christian went viral on social media platforms.

The incident took place on 21 May 2022, during the event of “Jana Maha Sammelanam”, organised by the Popular Front of India ( PFI), an organization always under the radar for terrorism and activities against the country. This event happened at Alappuzha, Kerala.

As the videos from the event went viral, the police took cognisance of the incendiary sloganeering and sprung into action. In its statement, the police said, “The video came to our notice yesterday only, and we are examining where this happened.”

According to reports, a mob of over 1,000 PFI supporters and members hit the streets, engaged in threatening, abusing and calling for violence against Hindus and Christians. The mob warned Hindus and Christians of dire consequences if they did not live peacefully in the country. The mob threatened that they have not forgotten the Gujarat Riots of 2002 and cautioned the Sangh Parivar to not mistake Kerala for Gujarat.

Incendiary slogans made at the PFI rally in Kerala

“Be ready for your death rituals if you won’t live in our land quietly. Be ready with rice flakes to fill your mouth, if you won’t live quietly (For Hindus ). Be ready to burn amber in your home if you won’t live quietly ( For Christians). Because we are coming, we are your death. We won’t go to Pakistan or Bangladesh, you have to live here as we say, or else we know how to make you live quietly, we will kill you even if we are attacked. We take pride in being a martyr, we salute them. If you won’t live quietly, we know how to ask for ‘Azadi’. Be prepared for your death,” the PFI members shouted in Malayalam.

Furthermore, the mob also vowed to conduct ‘Sujood’ ( kind of prayer ) in the disputed building of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya again. Also, they have decided to continue ‘Sujood’ in the disputed structure called ‘Gyanvapi Mosque’ which is built on the ruins of a temple in Varanasi. They said they are not leaving for Pakistan or Bangladesh and if they do so, they will take the Sangh Parivar along with them.

“Will do Sujood in Babri Masjid again. We will do Sujood in Gyanvapi too. Insha Allah Insha Allah…Reminding you Sanghis..Won’t leave for Pakistan, won’t leave for Bangladesh. We will go to 6 feet down under instead. Sanghis, listen to us before we go, If we go, we will “take” you also with us,” said the protesters who attended the PFI demonstration.

In the video, a boy could be heard raising the slogan, “Hindus should keep rice for their last rites, and Christians should keep incense for their last rites. If your life decently, you can live in our land, and if you don’t live decently properly, we know Azadi (freedom). Live decently, decently, decently.” People attending the rally were repeating the slogan.

BJP Kerala state office secretary Jayaraj Kaimal said, “Hindus should buy rice and flowers for their last rites, Oh! I forgot one thing. Christians should also buy incense for their last rites. If you want to live here, live ‘decently’; otherwise, we know how to implement ‘Azadi’.” – Slogans are from the PFI rally in Alappuzha.”

In a follow-up tweet, he said, “The soft approach of the Left and Right political parties towards the Popular Front is literally intimidating. It has been 48 hours since the slogan of annihilation of Hindus and Christians was uttered. Kerala is going through a terrible situation.”

Stating similar slogans were raised in Kashmir in the 90s, he said, “Similar slogans were heard in Kashmir in the 90s. The regime has adopted a “singular” approach to extremism. Today’s Kerala is very similar to Kashmir then.” [Tweets translated from Malayalam to English using Google Translate]

The threat calls ends with the famous ‘Intifada Assalam”, the Islamist salute to the people who have been killed in political murders recently in Kerala. It is worth noting that the Intifada Assalam salutes were used in Iraq in 1952 before the horrifying spate of mass murder, rioting and killings gripped the country. The same pattern continued till 2015, during the Syrian and Lybian civil wars. The calls for intifada have become a common sight in PFI rallies in Kerala nowadays.

PFI claims they stopped the sloganeering

PFI officials have claimed that when workers associated with the organization noticed the slogans, they stopped them. PFI spokesperson Rauf Pittambi drew a parallel between Hinduism and Hindutva to justify the slogans. He was quoted by India Today saying, “Many raised slogans against Hindutva terror. This boy also raised slogans. We regret the few lines of the slogans and will look into it. His slogans were not against Hindus or Christians but against Hindutva terrorists planning genocide.”

Delhi High Court adjourns Umar Khalid’s bail hearing till 24th of May, questions his role in instilling a ‘sense of fear and insecurity’ among people during the Anti-CAA Delhi riots

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi High Court adjourns Umar Khalid’s bail hearing till 24th of May, questions his role in instilling a ‘sense of fear and insecurity’ among people during the Anti-CAA Delhi riots

The Delhi High Court on Monday adjourned the bail plea petition of the 2020 Delhi Riots accused Umar Khalid. The court will resume hearing on the matter on Tuesday, the 24th of May. Khalid’s bail plea challenging the trial court’s order was heard by a division bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul J. and Rajnish Bhatnagar J.

Advocate Trideep Pais argued before the court that Khalid’s speech does not account for terror. The bench then read the transcript of the speech given by Khalid and pointed out what the words “inquilab” and “krantikari” meant in the context of riot-stricken Delhi. “He used the word ‘inquilab‘ in the context of the protests. By no means were the words inquilab, or krantikari used in the context of violence or terror. It was merely a protest against an unjust law,” argued counsel Pais before the court.

Justice Mridul J. had raised questions about Umar Khalid’s slogan of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ during the protest, asking what was the need for a ‘revolution’ since the country is Independent.

When the hearing resumed today, Pais referred to a charge sheet against Umar Khalid ascertaining him as a mentor of Sharjeel Imam. The charge sheet said that a WhatsApp group was formed on the instructions of Umar Khalid to disseminate his agenda. Advocate Pais argued before the court whether a mere statement is enough to bring home the charge of UAPA upon Umar Khalid. He argued that the charge does not hold much water when Khalid was not present at the time of chakka jam agitations all over Delhi.

It must be noted that Umar Khalid is accused of inciting violence which led to riots following the anti-CAA/NRC protests in Delhi. The charge sheet against Khalid mentions the use of weapons, and the manner of attacks during the violence pointing to the terror act. The document states that the intent of the protest was to disrupt the “unity and integrity of India.”

Advocate Trideep Pais argued that terrorist activity does not merely arise by causing disturbance of law and order or of public order. He argued, “A ‘terrorist’ activity does not merely arise by causing disturbance of law and order or of public order. The fallout of the intended activity must be such that it travels beyond the capacity of the ordinary law enforcement agencies to tackle it under the ordinary penal law. Every ‘terrorist’ may be a criminal but every criminal cannot be given the label of a ‘terrorist’ only to set in motion the more stringent provisions of UAPA.”

He stated that the raison d être of the protest itself was a cry to belong to the country and was not in any way undermining the sovereignty of India.

However, Justice Mridul J asked, “Is it the case of the prosecution that the protests were to instil a sense of fear and insecurity in the people?” To this, Pais argued that the victims were families of the protestors themselves. Justice Mridul pointed out that a sense of fear and insecurity was created in the aftermath of the protests. “Doesn’t matter if the fear was among the protestors or the people in that area! All protestors have not been charged with UAPA!” he argued in reference to the charge sheet.

Referring to the para 6 of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) judgement, the Justice said that the result of a terrorist attack is not merely the physical or mental damage caused to the victim alone but the prolonged psychological effect it produces on the society as a whole… and a sense of fear and insecurity is created in the minds of a section of society at large.” In reference to the gruesome Delhi riots of 2020, Justice Mridul J pointed out that the accused has been charged with creating insecurity and fear in the public.

With the above assertion from the previous Judgement, the bench debated on whether the violence incited by Umar Khalid and subsequently by Sharjeel Imam be referred to as a terrorist attack. Advocate Pais further reading out extracts from Sharjeel Imam’s statement said that only being part of a Whatsapp group (created by Imam) does not make him culpable of the violent actions.

He argued that there was also no connection between Khalid and Sharjeel Imam and that the charge sheet is falsely trying to draw a connection between them. The hearing will continue to be heard throughout the week.

Stunning visuals of the new terminal from the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

OpIndia Staff
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Stunning visuals of the new terminal from the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The Airports Authority of India has released some amazing photographs of a new terminal that is under construction at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Veer Savarkar was sentenced to two life imprisonments in the cellular jail located on the islands during the British rule.

The airport is soon going to have a new terminal building. Because of the increase in passenger traffic, the Airports Authority of India has begun work on a completely new terminal which will be constructed at a cost of roughly Rs 700 crores.

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City Side elevation view.

The new terminal structure, which has a total built-up area of 40,837 sqm, will be able to handle 1200 people during peak hours and around 40 lakh passengers yearly. Lower ground, higher ground, and first floor will be the three levels of the new passenger terminal structure. The lower ground floor will serve as a remote arrival, bus lounge, and service area, while the top ground floor will serve as passenger departure and arrival access.

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The under-construction tunnel.

The terminal is designed as a shell-shaped building with sea and island imagery. The Building is a 120-meter-long structural steel-framed structure with aluminium sheet roofing and cable net glass all around.

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Airside view of the under-construction terminal.

Construction of an extra apron area is currently underway, which will offer four additional bays for aircraft parking. More than 80% of the project works have been done, and the development project is scheduled to be finished by October 2022.

The opening of the new terminal building at the Veer Savarkar Airport will help to expand the tourism business, consequently strengthening the region’s economy. The increased connection will not only offer new job prospects for the local people but will also enable access to improved educational and medical services.

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