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UK PM Boris Johnson visits MK Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, spins Charkha, often cited as symbol of India’s freedom struggle from British Empire

OpIndia Staff
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UK PM Boris Johnson visits MK Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, spins Charkha, often cited as symbol of India’s freedom struggle from British Empire

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad soon after arriving in Gujarat on Thursday, April 21, for his maiden visit to India. At the Sabarmati Ashram, Johnson tried his hands at spinning the Charkha, a symbol of the 1905 Swadeshi movement- a part of the Indian Independence movement aimed at disbanding the British Empire.

A video of the same was shared by various media outlets. In the video, two women workers from the Sabarmati Ashram could be seen giving Boris Johnson a demonstration of the Charkha and how Gandhi used the wheel to weave.

Sharing a snippet of Boris Johnson’s attempt to spin the iconic Charkha, news agency ANI Tweeted, “Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson visits Sabarmati Ashram, tries his hands on ‘charkha’.” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel accompanied him on his visit.

Johnson, who was accompanied to the ashram by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupesh Patel, penned a message in the visitor’s book. He wrote, “It is an immense privilege to come to the Ashram of this extraordinary man and to understand how he mobilised such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world to get better.”

Twitter users give Britain PM Boris Johnson a lesson in history

Interestingly, after the video of the British Prime Minister attempting to spin the Charkha went viral, many social media users remarked on the irony of the situation. They slammed the PM of Britain for experimenting with the charkha, which was once used as a symbol of protest against the British economic subjugation of India.

Loyal Lab, a Twitter user, requested that the British PM stop the theatrics. “Did @BorisJohnson apologize for his country Britain’s colonization and loot of India? Did he acknowledge the thousands of human beings his countrymen killed in India? Did he offer to return the $45 trillion looted from India between 1765 to 1938? If not, stop the drama,” wrote the Twitter user.

How Charkha played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle from the British Empire

Notably, the Charkha had played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle from the British Empire. In 1905, the charkha became a symbol of the Swadeshi movement – a part of the Indian Independence movement aimed at disbanding the British Empire by making the citizens of India more self-reliant.

The Swadeshi movement was officially proclaimed on August 7, 1905, at the Calcutta Town Hall, in Bengal. The Boycott movement was also launched along with the Swadeshi movement. The movements included using goods produced in India and burning British-made goods.

During the rule of the East India Company, the British used to ship the raw cotton from India to England and the finished material would come back to India to be sold at exorbitant prices, thus causing Indian farmers and commoners to suffer from huge losses and poverty.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi initiated the Swadeshi movement by taking up the charkha and encouraging the Indians to spin their own cloth. The cloth woven from the spinning wheel is known as Khadi or Khaddar, meaning course cloth. The charkha went on to become a symbol of self-sufficiency and freedom.

In 1909, the movement had spread across the country and people had started anti-partition and anti-colonial movements. This was a major economic blow to the British empire, and it played a significant role in India’s freedom struggle from the British autocratic regime.

Later, MK Gandhi’s freedom movements, such as the Satyagraha movement, the Non-Cooperation movement, and so on, which helped India get freedom from British rule, were also based on the Swadeshi movement.

Meanwhile, the ashram gifted the UK PM a copy of “Guide to London”, one of the first few books written by MK Gandhi which never got published. He was also given “The Spirit’s Pilgrimage”, the autobiography of Madeleine Slade or Mirabehn, the daughter of a British admiral who became MK Gandhi’s disciple.

Besides, Boris Johnson many international leaders have spun the Charkha at Sabarmati Ashram

Boris Johnson is not the first international leader to visit Sabarmati Ashram. In 2020, US President Donald Trump along with First lady Melania Trump visited the Ashram and tried their hands at spinning the Charkha. Besides, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with his wife Sophie and children Xavier, Hadrien and Ella-Grace too have in the past, visited the iconic Ashram wearing Indian ethnic clothes and also tried their hands on the Charkha during their visits.

Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath government forms Priest Welfare Board as promised before the elections

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath government forms Priest Welfare Board as promised before the elections

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is going to take a big step in the interest of elderly saints, sages, and priests. In line with the BJP’s promise of Lok Kalyan Sankalp, that is, the election manifesto of the party, CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the formation of a Priest Welfare Board in the state. Similarly, ‘Eco and Rural Tourism’ and ‘Tourism and Culture Councils’ will also be set up in all the 75 districts.

Respecting the faith of the people in the state, Yogi Adityanath’s government took this decision. A board will be formed for the welfare of elderly saints, sages, and priests of temples. The Board will look after their welfare works.

It may be noted that ahead of the assembly elections, Yogi Adityanath had promised to form the Purohit Welfare Board, if BJP is re-elected to power. In an election rally, he had said, “We have decided to constitute a ‘Purohit Kalyan Board’. All Sanskrit students will get a special scholarship.”

CM Yogi Adityanath directed that within the next 100 days, with a view to facilitating the devotees and tourists, an online integrated temple information system should be developed which contains details of temples, history, and route map. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday reviewed the presentation of the action plan for charitable affairs, tourism, culture, and language departments before the council of ministers and gave directions.

He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a cultural renaissance is taking place in India in the 21st century. It is our endeavor to establish the State as a cultural destination by preserving, promoting, and popularising the unique cultural identity of the State.

He further said, “In line with the aspirations of the people, significant efforts are being taken which include the construction of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor, construction of Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Ayodhya Deepotsav, Braj Rangotsav, Dev-Deepawali of Kashi, Vindhya Dham Corridor, Naimish Tirtha, Shuk Tirtha Revival, Statue of Maa Annapurna being restored after 100 years, Soron-Sukarkshetra Development, etc. It is going to become the identity of the new Uttar Pradesh of new India. With the efforts of the Prime Minister, Uttar Pradesh is becoming a confluence of nature, culture, and adventure.”

He added, “Development of 12 circuits identified in the State will be completed with commitment. Ramayana Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Shaktipeeth Circuit, Krishna/Braj Circuit, Bundelkhand Circuit, Mahabharata Circuit, Sufi Circuit, Craft Circuit, Freedom Struggle Circuit, Jain Circuit, and Wildlife and Eco-Tourism Circuit will give a new identity to tourism in Uttar Pradesh.”

Gujarat: ATS, DRI seize heroin worth Rs 2500 crores at Kandla port, drugs were smuggled from Afghanistan via Iran

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: ATS, DRI seize heroin worth Rs 2500 crores at Kandla port, drugs were smuggled from Afghanistan via Iran

In a big drug bust, the Gujarat Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Directorate of Revenue of Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday seized around 300 kg of heroin at the Kandla Port in Kutch, Gujarat. The drugs were confiscated from one of the five containers seized by the DRI.

According to the reports, the DRI suspects that the other four seized containers may also contain drugs. The consignment was intercepted by the DRI based on specific intelligence that high-quality heroin was being smuggled in containers from Afghanistan to Gujarat’s Kandla port via Iran.

The joint operation of ATS and DRI successfully recovered a record of over 300 kg of heroin worth a whopping Rs 2,500 crores.

It is important to note that this is not the first time that containers of drugs have been confiscated by the DRI in Gujarat. Earlier, on February 13, the joint operation of the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Indian Navy had seized over 750 kg of drugs from a ship off the Gujarat coast. Officials claimed the price of the seized contraband in the international market could be around Rs 2000 crores.

Also, in September last year, the state of Gujarat had recorded the country’s biggest drug haul confiscating 3 tons of drugs from containers in Mundra. The estimated value of the haul was Rs 20,900 crores. The investigations are underway. More details are awaited.

Mazaar illegally constructed inside Civil Hospital, Surat, administration writes to police to get it removed

Nirwa Mehta
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Mazaar illegally constructed inside Civil Hospital, Surat, administration writes to police to get it removed

Civil Hospital in Surat has written to police requesting removal of illegal construction of a mazaar on the Civil Hospital campus. A video of the mazar has gone viral on social media.

One can see a concrete construction being carried out around a mazaar on the campus. However, the hospital authorities have now written to police requesting them to remove the illegal construction on the civil hospital.

Letter by hospital authorities to police

In a letter written to Surat Police Commissioner, a copy of which has been accessed by OpIndia, the hospital authorities have written that behind the radiology department and next to kidney building where there is oxygen plant, a mazaar is there. The letter states that the mazaar is illegally constructed by some anti-social elements.

“This unauthorised mazaar is in 17.5 x 17.5 feet area. I request you to kindly look into it and take necessary steps to remove the illegal encroachment on government property,” the letter states. The letter also requests police to take action against the anti-social elements.

On condition of anonymity, the people in the know said that they were not aware since when the mazaar has been around on campus but they have now requested the police to remove the illegal construction. According to sources, the administration got moving after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad protested against the mazaar on the hospital campus.

VHP protesting against mazaar

Earlier this week, the VHP members had given a written application to hospital authorities about the unauthorised mazaar.

With inputs from Mahesh Purohit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declares Mariupol ‘liberated’, it was the base of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion

OpIndia Staff
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Russian President Vladimir Putin declares Mariupol ‘liberated’, it was the base of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion

On April 21 (local time), Russia’s President Vladimir Putin declared that the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol had been ‘liberated’. He announced military operation at the port city to the south was successful and instructed that the Russian troops fighting in the city would be honoured with state awards.

As per reports, in an order to Sergei Shoigu, the Defense Minister of Russia, President Putin has asked to halt the attacks on the Azovstal industrial zone in Mariupol. He further directed the minister to completely block the zone so that no one could fly in or out. An offensive attack has been suspended in the area as it would reduce the casualties on the Russian side.

The head of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said in a statement, “Before lunchtime, or after lunch, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation.”

Azov Regiment of Ukraine declared in a statement that the Russian bombardment had completely destroyed the Azovastal plant in Mariupol. The said plant was the last stronghold of the Ukrainian forces. Azov Regiment and 36th Marine Brigade of Ukrainian forces had continued holding their positions at the plant while Russia marched forward to take over the city.

Earlier, the Russian defence minister had offered the Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms at the Azovstal plant. He had threatened if refused, the Russian force would completely destroy it. However, the Ukrainian forces had decided not to surrender.

Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia’s National Defense Management Centre, said in a statement that the offer to the Ukrainian forces was made amid the catastrophic situation developed at the plant. He said it was “also guided by purely humane principles”. Despite the heavy attack on the city from land, air and sea, around 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers stationed at the plant kept fighting till 6 AM Moscow time.

After the announcement, Putin called on the rest of the Ukrainian soldiers in Azovstal to lay down their arms. He promised them that Russia would treat them with respect and provide necessary medical attention.

Reports suggest thousands of civilians have died in the intense attack on the city that lasted for over a month. As per reports, Ukraine claimed heavy bombs were dropped by Russia that flattened the plant. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky had claimed over 1,000 civilians were also trapped in the plant. Russia, however, says that it is the Azov Batallion that is holding the civilians hostage inside the plant complex.

It is notable here that Mariupol has been the base of the neo-Nazi Azov Batallion and the infamous Batallion has been rejecting the Russian offers for surrender. Control of Mariupol gives Russia complete control over the Sea of Azov and helps in creating a land bridge to Crimea.

Meet Tahaffuz-E-Deen India YouTube channel, calls Khalistani terrorist ‘Hindu’, uses BBC’s misleading report against Kashmiri Pandits and more

Anurag
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Meet Tahaffuz-E-Deen India YouTube channel, calls Khalistani terrorist ‘Hindu’, uses BBC’s misleading report against Kashmiri Pandits and more

Tahaffuz-E-Deen India is an Islamic media channel with large viewership on YouTube and other social media platforms. The channel has over seven lakh subscribers on YouTube. Its videos have clocked over ten crore views on YouTube. As per the channel’s website, the main aim of the channel is to “revive the saints of Hazrat.” During our investigation, we found that the channel spread a lot of misinformation about current affairs, especially when it comes to Hindus and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Indian government.

‘Ludhiana court bomb blast mastermind was Hindu’

In a December 28 report, Syed Farooq Ahmed, a journalist with the Tahaffuz-E-Deen channel, falsely claimed that the mastermind of the Ludhiana court bomb blast was a Hindu. He said, “The mastermind of the Ludhiana bomb blast and Hindu terrorist Jaswinder Singh Multani was arrested in Germany. He was arrested at the request of the Indian government.”

In reality, Jaswinder Singh Multani is a Khalistani terrorist who has links with the banned Khalistani organisation Sikhs For Justice. Multani was arrested by the German Police on December 28 for his involvement in Ludhiana Court Bomb Blast that took place in a Ludhiana court on December 23, 2021.

‘Hindu terrorists organised Shobha Yatra on Hanuman Jayanti in Bhopal’

In another report, Syed Farooq Ahmed called the Hindus associated with Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad terrorists. He said, “The Hindu terrorists have announced that they would take out Shobha Yatra on Hanuman Jayanti in Bhopal.” In the report, he alleged that “Hindu terrorists” did the same on Ram Navami in Khargone and said it was an attempt to spread fear among Muslims.

He further claimed that Muslims had left Khargone, fearing they would be attacked again. Contrary to his claims, the area in Khargone where the incident took place on Ram Navami is a Muslim-dominant region. It was Hindus who had left the area, fearing further communal violence. Reports suggest that stones were pelted when Ram Navami Shobha Yatra was passing through the Muslim-dominant area. A 16-year-old Hindu boy identified as Shivam had sustained serious head injuries and had to undergo surgery.

‘Kashmir Files instigated hate against Muslims, Hindus would have killed a Muslim outside theatre’

In a report on the film The Kashmir Files, founder of the channel Qari Ziya Ur Rahman Farooqui said that Kashmir Files was a hate-filled film and it instigated viewers against Muslims. He said, “The Sanghis who watched the film got provoked by the film and chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Desh Ke gaddaron ko’ outside the theatre. Imagine if a Muslim with the beard and ‘topi’ would have been there, what these Sanghis could have done to him.”

Calling the film fake, he said instead of banning the film, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoted it. He said, “What can you expect from someone like him (PM Modi) who has bloodied hands. Gujarat 2002 riots are a black mark on India’s history. I wish they talked about the woman whose womb was torn while chanting Jai Shri Ram.”

Also, the incident mentioned in the report where a woman was raped and her womb was torn during the Gujarat riots was fake. It was revealed in a 2010 report that the doctor who conducted post mortem on the victim found the foetus intact. Farooqui conveniently skipped the fact in his report that the riots were triggered after 59 Hindus, including women and children, were burnt alive in Godhra while they were coming back from Ayodhya by a Muslim mob.

In another report, the channel used BBC’s misleading reporting where they had shown Kashmiri Pandits talking ill about the film. Interestingly, it was later revealed that the Kashmiri Pandits that were interviewed by BBC were Congress supporters and anti-BJP. After the revelation, BBC tried to clarify its stand but did not apologise for misleading reporting.

The Kashmir Files has stirred a major political drama in the country. The left-liberal section of the media has been trying to project that the film is polarising and spreads misleading claims. However, the film showcases the real incidents that happened to the Kashmiri Pandits during the 1990 exodus from the valley. All the incidents of crimes against Kashmiri Pandits are documented.

‘Hindus are luring Muslim women’

In an August 2021 report, Ahmed alleged that Hindu men are luring Muslim women to marry them and converting the women to Hinduism after marriage. He alleged since the Modi government came into the centre, such incidents have increased, and Muslims were being targeted in the name of Love Jihad, Cow slaughter and more.

He further alleged Hindu men were kidnapping and raping Muslim women. He said Hindu women were also involved in such rackets. Ahmed alleged Hindus were being paid for luring Muslim women. The way he described what Hindu men allegedly do to Muslim women is exactly what is happening in Grooming Jihad. In reality, there have been hundreds of cases where Muslim men hid their identities and lured Hindu women into marrying them. Later, when Hindu women found their real identity, they were either forcefully converted or killed.

About the channel

Tahaffuzedeen Media Services is an Islamic Media Organization. It was founded by Qari Ziya Ur Rahman Farooqui from Aurangabad, whose father Hazrat Maulana Mahfooz Ur Rahman Farooqui Rahmani often appears on the channel and talks about Islam. The channel publishes misleading reports against Hindus, BJP-led central government and tries to create a picture that the Muslim community is India is being targeted by Hindus. The channel also attempted to whitewash the mass conversion racket that by busted by UP ATS. Several videos have praised Umar Gautam, the main accused in the case.

As Supreme Court orders to continue status quo in Jahangirpuri anti-encroachment drive for two weeks, here is what the lawyers argued before the bench

OpIndia Staff
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As Supreme Court orders to continue status quo in Jahangirpuri anti-encroachment drive for two weeks, here is what the lawyers argued before the bench

On April 21, Thursday, the Supreme Court bench of Justices LN Rao and BR Gavai was hearing petitions against anti-encroachment drives in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri neighbourhood. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the government, asserted that the submission made by Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind that demolition is only against one community was “factually incorrect”.

Notably, following the violence that occurred during the Hanuman Jayanti Shobha Yatra on April 16, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on April 20, Wednesday, demolished many illegal encroachments on public space using bulldozers in the C Block of Jahangirpuri. Following this, a public interest litigation petition (PIL) was filed by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind in the apex court against the government’s anti-encroachment drive.

Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Dushyant Dave appeared for the Islamic organisation. Both Senior Advocates essentially argued that the anti-encroachment drives are being carried out by the government sans any procedure and due process and only in order to target the Muslim community.

However, when Sibal told Court that “encroachments are a problem in Delhi, but encroachments are now being associated with Muslims,” Justice Rao said, “Properties of Hindus are being demolished as well”. Sibal then said that he does not remember the last time this happened, insisting upon the bench to explain when that happened last.

To counter the submission made by Kapil Sibal, SG Tushar Mehta, representing the government, gave the example of a similar anti-encroachment drive carried out in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.

He said that in Khargone, 88 per cent of the affected parties were Hindus. He apologised for segregating the affected parties in terms of religion and claimed that the government does not want to bifurcate in this manner but is being compelled because of the factually incorrect arguments presented by petitioners like Jamiat Ulema I Hind.

The SG also pointed out before the court that the government had issued notices regarding the demolition of properties built illegally in public spaces in the year 2021 itself.

The SG also emphasised the established pattern used by opposition parties and certain organisations to obstruct government work. “It’s become a habit. Every time a demolition occurs, organisations and individuals from various political spectrums come forward,” Tushar Mehta stated.

“No individuals have come forward only organisations have, Mehta, told the apex court. He added that all demolitions were carried out with prior notifications.

The SG further said that so far as buildings were concerned, notices were issued. A petition was filed by a Jahangirpuri traders association where there are judicial orders of the HC regarding the removal of encroachment. In terms of Delhi, they attempted to remove what was lying on footpaths and public roads beginning on January 19, then in February 2022, and finally, in April 2022, the SG stated.

Interestingly, when Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Islamist organisation Jamiat Ulema I Hind, sought a stay on the demolition, the Supreme Court bench of Justices LN Rao and BR Gavai said that they “can’t put a stay on all kinds of demolition across the country.”

To this, Sibal went on to insist that the court should put a stay on at least those demolitions being carried out by using bulldozers. “Those with bulldozers,” argued Sibal. The court rebuffed the senior advocate’s claim saying that “Demolition is always done with bulldozers only.”

The Supreme Court, after hearing the arguments, issued notice to the NDMC and others on plea against the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri. The bench, while ordering a status quo for another two weeks, directed the NDMC and others to file a reply on the plea at the earliest.

On April 20, Wednesday, the Supreme Court had ordered to maintain the status quo in the ongoing demolition drive being carried out by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.

Hearing the petition, the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana ordered the authorities to maintain the status-quo on the demolition drive and not to continue with the demolition started by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation against encroachers.

Earlier on Wednesday, the NMDC had started its anti-encroachment drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area amid a heavy police presence. Many bulldozers had started bringing down illegal structures, shops and other encroachments.

The NMDC had requested over 400 personnel from the Delhi police to carry out the anti-encroachment drive in the Jahangirpuri area. The area had witnessed severe violence on April 16 when a Hindu procession on Hanuman Jayanti was attacked with stones, bottles and gunshots by a Muslim mob. 

OpIndia reached the ground and had comprehensive coverage of the demolition drive to get a good understanding of the situation in the area. The entire purpose of the campaign was to demolish the illegally constructed structures in the region. However, because the Supreme Court halted the destruction, a major part of the unlawful structure still remains in the locality.

Days after Akbaruddin Owaisi’s acquittal, Asaduddin Owaisi threatens with radicalising South Indians

OpIndia Staff
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Days after Akbaruddin Owaisi’s acquittal, Asaduddin Owaisi threatens with radicalising South Indians

All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi threatened the government of India saying that if a small faction of people in South India get radicalised, the govt will not able to handle it. In a tweet posted on 20th April 2022, he wrote that if a fraction of the 200 million people gets radicalized, it will be a great challenge in front of the government of India to handle the situations that may arise as a result.

This tweet by Asaduddin Owaisi came as a reply to a tweet by MK Venu who is an editor of The Wire. MK Venu wrote in his tweet, “Would southern states be willing to accept a diminished representation as a reward for greater success in delivering relatively higher growth & lower population increase over several years? This is a danger that not much attention has been paid to?”

Taking this thread ahead, Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted, “If even a small fraction of the 200 million become radicalized and take to retaliatory violence, would the Indian State be able to handle the security challenge? Would more democratic freedoms have to be sacrificed to enable the State to keep us safe?”

MK Venu was talking about the much delayed delimitation exercise, which the left-liberals argue that will decrease the representation of Southern states in the parliament because of better population control. However, this allegation is baseless as the process has just started and no proposal have been made in this regard.

But using this baseless fear mongering, Owaisi ended up threatening to radicalise the people of south India.

Earlier on 13th April 2022, Asaduddin Owaisi’s brother and AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was acquitted in decade-old hate speech cases. A special court in Hyderabad’s Nampally was hearing the two cases filed against Owaisi for delivering hate speeches against Hindus in 2012 and 2019. Akbaruddin Owaisi in the year 2012 had made a highly inflammatory speech asking to remove the police for 15 minutes so that he could finish off 100 crores of Hindus. While addressing a crowd in Nirmal, Akbaruddin Owaisi resorted to fear-mongering and attempted to incite violence against Hindus by raking up the issues of alleged lynchings against minorities.

Now Asaduddin Owaisi made similar remarks in his tweet threatening the Indian state. In support of his threats, Asaduddin Owaisi furnished numbers just as his younger brother did a decade ago. Though Asaduddin Owaisi has avoided directly using the word Muslims in his tweet, it is evident from the quoted numbers and his politics of appeasing Islamists every now and then, that he is talking about the Muslims in India.

Standing on top of 28,000 dead bodies in Bengal, Brinda Karat objects to a bulldozer

Abhishek Banerjee
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Standing on top of 28,000 dead bodies in Bengal, Brinda Karat objects to a bulldozer

How often does it happen that mainstream media, social media, journalists, politicians and five star activists all come together to kick up a storm over a municipality bulldozing illegal construction? I am guessing not very much.

But then, how often does it happen that a municipality goes ahead and bulldozes a building even after there is a Supreme Court order to maintain status quo? I don’t know. Is there a precedent? When was the last time the Supreme Court ruled on a matter of some municipal authority demolishing an illegal construction? That too on such an emergency basis. I cannot say if the municipal authorities in Delhi are in contempt of court. But in case they are, I demand that they should immediately pay what I am assuming is the standard fine of Re 1 in all such cases.

So everything that happened in the national capital yesterday was quite unprecedented. Well, except for the municipality bulldozing illegal construction. That happens somewhere or the other, every day in India. It sucks to be one of the people whose homes or businesses get torn down, but the administration is just doing its job as well.

I know what they are saying. They allege that one particular community was “targeted.” They ask why the part in front of a mosque was torn down when nearby temples, which might appear unauthorized to some, were not? Again, I don’t know. Maybe it was just a coincidence. All I know is that “whataboutery” is not allowed. I learned that from liberals themselves.

If you ask me, by far the most unprecedented thing yesterday was CPM’s Brinda Karat trying to block bulldozers in Delhi. A top Communist hitting the streets of Delhi instead of five star hotel lobbies and air conditioned rooms? Has hell frozen over yet? But I guess that desperate times call for desperate measures. With so many Bengali Muslim votes on the line, and the CPM desperate to find some footing in Bengal, the Communist leadership had to be seen doing something.

And of course Brinda Karat got tons of praise for posing in front of TV cameras yesterday. The Communists may have mass murdered 100 million people, but they do know how to work the media. In fact, her appearance incited the kind of groveling admiration from intellectuals, celebrities and journalists that might be second only to that of Sonia Gandhi herself. You can expect these stool pigeons to keep applauding this photo op well into this year, and the next.

But you know who were not applauding? The 28,000 victims of the Communist regime in West Bengal. And that’s just the official figure. Then state home minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya provided it himself in 1997, on the floor of West Bengal Assembly. So 28,000 political murders between 1977 and 1996, working out to about 4 murders per day, every day for twenty years.

I wonder. How many Supreme Court hearings have happened about that?

In any case, 28,000 is just a number, even if it refers to dead bodies of actual human beings. Poor and forgotten, their bodies lie buried in the countryside all across West Bengal. Some might be in mass graves, some not. You might think they left a few bodies to rot just like that, but you would be wrong. Because you might not know about the “Bengal model” of body disposal. There is some kind of “scientific” way to dispose off a body with salt so that it quickly becomes unrecognizable. It is typical Communist style innovation, which stresses being cheap, brutal and scalable.

I don’t know the exact details of this gory process, but the Communist politburo, of which Ms. Karat is a member, might have a clue. Better still, there is a rumor that a certain someone was sent to Bengal during that time to study this method and bring the knowhow for body disposal to other states. Some people say this person is a Chief Minister right now. Yes, as of right now…

That is Communists when they have power in an Indian state. What would happen tomorrow if they get national power? We don’t have to go back to Stalin or Mao to find out what would happen. Let me take you to this heartwarming interview with CPM General Secretary in 2019.

Interviewer: There must be some affinity that you or any other Communist has towards China?

His answer?

What I cannot show you in this screenshot is just how many times he nodded eagerly before saying absolutely. It was like asking a father if he loves his child…

Now remember the face of Brinda Karat standing in front of a bulldozer, apparently trying to stop “injustice”.

I should mention that the interviewer appeared somewhat disgusted with Yechury’s answer. I suppose that is why he asked this follow up question:

Interviewer: But human rights violations, comrade… They [China] are doing organ harvesting of Muslims.

His answer?

Don’t just read what he said. Also note the smile with which he said it.

And now think about Brinda Karat’s face, pretending to stand up to bulldozers yesterday. Oh, I forgot. I’m not supposed to do whataboutery. I will stop now.

Brinda Karat moves SC against anti-encroachment drive: Here’s why MCD may not be obligated to stop action on media reports

OpIndia Staff
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Brinda Karat moves SC against anti-encroachment drive: Here’s why MCD may not be obligated to stop action on media reports

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking compensation for the alleged victims of the Jahangirpuri anti-encroachment drive.

According to the reports, the Communist leader has filed a petition in the Supreme Court urging the court to cancel the anti-encroachment drive and not proceed without ‘due process of law’. In her petition, Karat claimed that the authorities refused to discontinue the operation until 12.25 pm despite her reaching the spot and bringing to their notice that the SC had stayed the anti-encroachment drive.

Brinda Karat also claimed that the NDMC officials started demolishing houses, shops and other buildings without giving a proper show cause and giving breathing time to people residing/working in the Jahangirpuri area of North Delhi, denying their precious constitutional rights and right to life.

“The entire action is absolutely and manifestly arbitrary and in violation of Articles 14, 19 and 21. Their only shelter and buildings for their livelihood are demolished in utter disregard to statutes and the Constitution. People residing and working in the Jahangirpuri area are very poor and marginalised who are incapable of resisting the illegal, inhumane action of the respondents,” Brinda Karat claimed in her petition.

The Communist leader also contended that the demolition had been carried out in a discriminatory manner sparing buildings in B, H and other blocks of the area.

Her petition comes a day after she had reached Delhi’s Jahangirpuri to ‘implement’ the Supreme Court order that stayed the anti-encroachment drive.

Within an hour after the Supreme Court had ordered to maintain the status quo in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive being carried out by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, Communist leader Brinda Karat had arrived in Jahangirpuri with the Supreme Court order asking the authorities to stop the process immediately.

In response, the Delhi police had asked the controversial Communist leader to vacate the demolition site and not create any chaos. 

Delay in NDMC officers receiving Supreme Court’s orders

However, some have criticised the actions of the Communist leader, saying she had no locus standi on the issue. More importantly, the Communist leader’s attack on the NDMC officials is being seen as obstructing public servants from carrying out their duty.

The contention of Brinda Karat is that the NDMC officials did not immediately stop the anti-encroachment process as soon as Supreme Court had ordered to maintain the status quo. Some media had reported that the officials had continued to raze down properties of encroachers despite the apex court order to stop the demolition.

However, it must be understood that the media reports cannot be equivalent to the court orders, and hence the civic officials cannot go by the reports to stop the anti-encroachment order. There was also little uncertainty over the Supreme Court orders on the demolition drive, which perhaps may have delayed the authorities receiving the order.

As NDMC officials had not received the order of the Supreme Court, they were carrying out the anti-encroachment drive as mandated by an elected body, i.e., the New Delhi Municipal Corporation. Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh had also stated that the drive would be halted when they received the order.

Hence, it is not entirely proper to intimidate and obstruct public servants by filing a petition in the Supreme Court for carrying out their duty, in this case, the anti-encroachment drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.

Jahangirpuri anti-encroachment drive:

Earlier on Wednesday, the NMDC had started its anti-encroachment drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area amid a heavy police presence. Many bulldozers had started bringing down illegal structures, shops and other encroachments.

The NMDC had requested over 400 personnel from the Delhi police to carry out the anti-encroachment drive in the Jahangirpuri area. The area had witnessed severe violence on April 16 when a Hindu procession on Hanuman Jayanti was attacked with stones, bottles and gunshots by a Muslim mob. 

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