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PM Modi first visitor to the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalay, a Museum that showcases lives of all PMs of Independent India beyond Nehru

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi first visitor to the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalay, a Museum that showcases lives of all PMs of Independent India beyond Nehru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the much sought after Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalay in the Teen Murti Bhavan, New Delhi. The museum captures the life of fourteen Prime Ministers of Independent India from Jawaharlal Nehru to the incumbent Narendra Modi.

On account of Ambedkar Jayanti, on April 14, The Prime Minister inaugurated the newly built Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalay to mark the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ or 75 years of the Indian Independence. On Thursday morning the PM arrived at the sprawling lawns of Teen Murti Bhavan in which the new museum is constructed and bought the first visitor ticket before entering the premises. This gesture of Modi underlined the democratic legacy of India which he often highlights in his speeches as a virtue deep-rooted in our civilizational consciousness.

The Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalay

The High tech museum showcases the story of Indian Prime Ministers and their contributions to nation-building. The visitors will get a first-hand experience through visual and digital means to learn about the leadership, vision, and achievements of all our prime ministers. The museum is located in the Teen Murti Bhavan complex, a 25-acre-plot that holds the Teen Murti Bhavan – the residence of Jawaharlal Nehru, The Nehru Memorial Library which will now host the museum dedicated to the PMs of India as well.

The design integrates the old Teen Murti Bhavan in the new masterplan which will be designated as Block – I with the newly constructed building designated as Block II. The building is a hemispherical dome topped with an Ashoka Chakra which talks about the story of rising India moulded by the hands of its leaders. According to the PMO, the total floor area of the two blocks is a combined over 15,600 square metres. The design which incorporates sustainable and energy conservation practices is built in a way that no tree was cut or transplanted during the course of its construction.

The museum hosts archives, personal items, gifts and memorabilia, speeches of prime ministers and anecdotal representations of ideologies and different aspects of their lives in 43 themed galleries planned as a journey of experience as you walk through the museum. Appropriate use of technology with the inculcation of Holograms, virtual reality, augmented reality, multi-touch, multimedia, interactive kiosks, computerized kinetic sculptures, smartphone applications, interactive screens and experiential installations is employed which makes the museum a state-of-the-art architectural feature of the 21st century.

“A matter of pride for all Indians”

PM Modi in his inaugural speech remarked, “This museum is a great inspiration for us at a time when we are celebrating 75 years of independence. I can also see families of former PMs today. This event is graced by their presence.” He added, “It is a matter of pride for all Indians that most of our prime ministers have come from very humble families and every government has a role in taking India to where it stands today. The PM Sangrahalaya has also become a living reflection of the shared heritage of each government that served the country.”

PM Modi said, “Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya’ will open doors of knowledge, ideas, and experience for coming generations. “Facing the challenges, every Prime Minister has tried to take the country forward. These are all things of public memory. If the youth and future generations will know about the Prime Ministers, then they will get inspiration,” he talked while highlighting the role the museum would play in sensitizing the youth about the history of Independent India.

Elon Musk makes $43 billion hostile takeover bid for 100% shares of Twitter, says he can unlock its potential

OpIndia Staff
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Elon Musk makes $43 billion hostile takeover bid for 100% shares of Twitter, says he can unlock its potential

Ending all speculations, Elon Musk has finally made an offer to buy Twitter Inc, the company that runs the microblogging social media platform Twitter. According to reports, the Tesla and SpaceX chief has offered to pay $54.20 per share in cash for 100% shares of the company, valuing the offer at about $43 billion.

The world’s richest man revealed his offer of hostile takeover of the company in a filling made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. Twitter shares rose 18% after the announcement was made.

Elon Musk had earlier revealed that he had acquired 9.2% stake in Twitter, creating speculations that he may take over the company. Due to his stake, he was invited a seat at the board of directors of the company, which he had initially accepted. But later he decided not to join the board.

One of the conditions of his appointment to the board was that he will not be able to increase his stake in the beyond 15%. Now as an independent investor, he is not bound by such restrictions, and has announced his offer to but the entire stock of Twitter.

According a letter written by Musk to Twitter board chairman Bret Taylor making the offer, Musk said that he invested in Twitter as he believes in its potential for free speech around the globe, saying he believes free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.

“However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company,” he said in the letter.

Making his offer, he said, “As a result, I am offering to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in case, a 54% premium over the day I began investing in Twitter and a 38% premium over the day before my investment was publicly announced”. He added that his offer is best and final offer and if it is not accepted, he will need to reconsider his position as a shareholder.

He added, “Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it”.

Later Musk posted a link to the SEC filing on Twitter, saying “I made an offer”.

As the world’s richest man, Elon Musk can easily buy 100% shares of Twitter by cash. It has to be seen how the Twitter board and management reacts to his offer. However, if if the board declines, he can purchase all the Twitter shares available in the market, and can gain enough shares to take over the board. Musk has hired Morgan Stanley as his adviser for the takeover. 

While Musk’s offer price is above the recent prices of the stock, it is below high prices of the company. Twitter share had hit $77 just last year, therefore, some shareholders may not be willing to sell at $54.20, and thus the bid may fail.

Muslim woman claims her burqa was pulled, brothers made to chant Jai Shri Ram: Here is how another narrative to malign Hindus fell flat

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim woman claims her burqa was pulled, brothers made to chant Jai Shri Ram: Here is how another narrative to malign Hindus fell flat

A video had gone viral on social media wherein a Muslim woman alleged that some miscreants pulled her burqa and forced her brother to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The lady, who identified herself as one Shaheen, a resident of Delhi’s Sadar Bazar, alleged that the incident took place on the intervening night of April 11 and 12 while she was returning from her in-law’s house. The Delhi Police, on the other hand, has called the allegations false and bereft of merit.

The Delhi police said that an investigation into the case has revealed that the woman had a long-running tenancy dispute with the accused. When she was asked to vacate her house, she gave the entire matter a communal colour.

In the viral video, the woman is heard alleging, “I was returning home at 2 am after seeing my father-in-law. My brother, who was accompanying me, was walking behind me. Three rowdy boys of my neighbourhood, one of whom is Rahul, pulled my burqa’s sleeve. He stated that we will compel Muslim women to take off their burqas. When my brother attempted to save me, they forced him into saying Jai Shri Ram. The miscreants stated that they will not permit Muslims to stay in the locality.”

According to the information gathered, the woman had also filed a complaint in the matter with the Sadar Bazar police on Tuesday, April 12.

Complaint filed by Shaheen at Delhi’s Sadar Bazar police station

Delhi Police confirmed it as a tenancy dispute

The Delhi police, while investigating the case, termed the allegations meted out by Shaheen as baseless. Speaking about the case, North Delhi DCP Sagar Singh Kalsi said, “On April 12, 2022, the Sadar Bazar police received a call saying that a fight had ensued in the area in the wee hours of the morning. The woman who called stated that some boys had gotten into an argument with her. The police arrived on the scene and began an investigation. Following an investigation, it was discovered that the complainant and the accused were acquainted with one another and that their tenancy dispute is also being litigated in court.”

The DCP went on to say that he is aware that some social media users are attempting to cast the issues in a communal light. This is completely incorrect, and any dissemination of such a false message will be considered a crime and dealt with strictly.

According to media reports, Shaheen, the woman who was seen in the video making the allegations, is said to have gone back on her statement in front of the police. The three accused boys are said to be landlords of the house where Shaheen has been living. They have been attempting to get their house vacated from her. On that night too, the youths had got into an argument with Shaheen on the same matter. The three boys were said to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

Farhan and Shadab were the first to share the video online

Notably, a journalist named Farhan Yahiya, working for Hindustan Live had first shared the aforementioned video on the Facebook page of the news portal. He had captioned the post, “A woman wearing a burqa and accompanied by her brother was mistreated. According to the brother and sister, they were forced to raise Jai Shri Ram slogans. A complaint has been filed at the Sadar police station. A young man was apprehended by the police. Two people have been released from custody.”

Now deleted Facebook post

Farhan removed the Facebook post after receiving a stern warning from the Delhi Police. However, by that time, the post had gone viral.

Similarly, on 13 April, a person named Shadab shared the same incident on his YouTube channel ‘The Shadab World News’. He too gave a communal colour to the incident. It’s appalling that despite a warning from the Delhi Police, Shadab has not deleted the video from the social media platform.

Abhisar Sharma prematurely celebrates Blinken’s statement on human rights in India, then goes on an unhinged rant after Jaishankar’s response

OpIndia Staff
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Abhisar Sharma prematurely celebrates Blinken’s statement on human rights in India, then goes on an unhinged rant after Jaishankar’s response

YouTuber Abhisar Sharma has recently targeted Union Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar and Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh for “staying mum on remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken”.

In his remarks, Blinken had targeted India for alleged human rights violations in the country. In his live video, Sharma said, “Blinken destroyed India over the Human Rights records of the country, and the two ministers Rajnath Singh and S Jaishankar did not say a word.”

According to Sharma, their alleged “silence” was an agreement that there were problems in India when it comes to Human Rights. He said during the joint press conference that Blinken said the Human Rights violation in India is worrisome. Blinken had said, “We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values, and to that end, we’re monitoring some recent concerning developments in India, including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison officials.”

Sharma, without mentioning Hindus, targeted them for the communal violence that took place on Ram Navami this year in several states. He also mentioned the statement made by Ilhan Omar against India where she questioned the Biden administration for inaction against India over alleged human rights violations.

‘We too have views about Human Rights issues in the US:’ External Affairs Minister’s reply to the US

In reply to Blinken’s remarks, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar gave a strong rebuttal. Speaking at a joint news conference after the 2+2 dialogue, Dr S Jaishankar said that even India also has views on other people’s human rights situation, including that of the United States.

“So, we take up human rights issues when they arise in this country, especially when they pertain to our community. And in fact, we had a case yesterday that’s really where we stand on that,” he added.

The External Affairs Minister was referring to an incident of hate crime against two Sikh men in the US two days back, who were attacked and robbed in a New York neighbourhood. He added, “Look, people are entitled to have views about us. But we are also equally entitled to have views about their views and about the interests, and the lobbies and the vote banks which drive that. So, whenever there is a discussion, I can tell you that we will not be reticent about speaking out.”

Sharma releases another video to claim Jaishankar’s statement was a bad response

Social media users made fun of Abhisar Sharma’s ‘premature reaction’ to Blinken’s statement. Sharma had overhyped Blinken’s statement and had claimed that India has been ‘exposed’ badly.

After Dr Jaishankar’s response, Sharma has released another video, where he is visibly agitated over the response. In the second video whose title can be translated to, “First India got humiliated in the USA, now the EAM makes an invalid argument” Sharma is seen raving and ranting about the difference between Indian and US media.

He claims that “Blinken had totally exposed India”, and then goes on to lament how US media ‘dares to question the government’ while Indian media just follows the government’s line.

Ironically, to validate his claims of US media questioning their government over George Floyd’s death, Sharma kept giving examples of US journalists questioning Trump, who was the previous US president. He probably could not find any instances where the US media is posing hard questions to the current US government.

Sharma then goes on a rant on alleged human rights abuses in India, probably doing what he hoped Blinken would do. He even questioned the suspension of the internet and the selected instances where he gets to claim Muslim victimhood. Probably Sharma does not want his YouTube subscribers to know that anyone who criticises the current US government led by Joe Biden, gets removed from social media altogether, and the US tech giants take their content off the internet.

Leftist journalists and camp followers of the Left ecosystem have had big expectations from the Joe Biden administration that it would ‘teach a lesson to Modi’, but sadly, the US govt continues to seek good relations with the Indian government, to the utter dismay of some anti-Modi media figures in India.

Abhisar Sharma had had a prolonged meltdown after the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor by PM Modi. He had also ranted about why Akhilesh Yadav deserves more media coverage than PM Modi.

‘Where is your Ram? We Ravans are here to abduct you’: How Islamist rioters targeted Hindu women in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh

OpIndia Staff
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‘Where is your Ram? We Ravans are here to abduct you’: How Islamist rioters targeted Hindu women in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh

On the occasion of Ram Navami, one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals, violence broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone on 10th April 2022. Islamists attacked the Shobha Yatra processions. Hindu devotees came under attack by an Islamist mob while the Ram Navami procession passed through a lane adjacent to a mosque in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh. In the riots that erupted at this time, Islamist rioters attacked Hindu houses and targeted Hindu women. While the mob of Islamist rioters broke into the lanes of Khargone, the miscreants taunted Hindu women saying, “Where is your Ram? We Ravans are here to abduct you.”

According to a report by News Nation, the Sanjay Nagar area of Khargone was one of the most affected areas by these riots. The Islamist rioters broke the doors of the houses to enter inside and looted the houses. Sheetala Mata Mandir located on Goshala Marg Road near Taalab chowk of Khargone was also attacked, and the idols of Hindu deities were broken. The mob targeted Hindu women and while terrorizing them they reportedly said, “Where is your Ram? If he is not here then come out. We are here to abduct you. We will take your Seeta Maiyas with us. We will take your women, sisters, and daughters.” The Islamists also threatened Hindu women by raping them.

How the violence in Khargone unfolded

When people of Khargone were attending the Ram Navami procession and the women at home were busy with their household work in the evening, suddenly Islamist mobs gathered in various areas and started targeting houses of Hindus. They first pelted stones and petrol bombs for almost an hour. Many Hindus who were returning home at that time were injured during this. After initial stone-pelting, the violent mob started to attack individual houses. They broke the doors to enter inside and loot the houses. In many houses, there were only women including pregnant ladies, and young girls and children, as the men were yet to return from their work.

According to reports, if the doors could not be broken, the rioters went up on the terraces and tried to break into the houses from the rooms on the upper floor or by breaking the windows. Along with Sanjay Nagar, Hindu houses in other areas including Bhatwadi, Tavdi Mohalla, Kazipura, Sarrafa Bazar, and Bhavsar Mohalla were attacked in the same manner. People living in these areas are so terrified that they decided to leave the place forever.

Islamists looted even the gas cylinders

The Tavdi Mohalla area of Khargone was worst hit by stone-pelting and petrol bombs. The maximum number of vehicles was set ablaze here. According to the report by News Nation, the riots were preplanned. The victims and other Hindus living in the riot-hit areas said that so many stones and petrol bombs can not appear anywhere all of a sudden. They have demanded a thorough investigation of this case and punishments for the rioters.

Solanki family living in the Kazipura area of Khargone has left their home in the locality and moved to their brother’s house. Their home in Kazipura was set on fire. Everything in the house was turned to ashes and the terrified family said that they will no longer live in this area. The rioters have not only looted the cash and the jewellery but they also took away the essential things like cooking gas cylinders and utensils from the Hindu houses in these areas. In many houses, people are left with just the clothes they were wearing. The walls of the houses in these areas read this house is for sale.

Madhya Pradesh’s home minister Dr Narottam Mishra took a firm stand against the rioters. He stated that the government is strict in dealing with the stone-pelters, adding that they will turn every house used by stone-pelters to attack the procession into a pile of rubble. Calling spade a spade, Mishra blamed Muslims for the violence that was witnessed during the Ram Navami celebrations. He said Muslims should not expect justice after carrying out such attacks. 

Ahead of Ranbir-Alia’s wedding video of Ranu Mondal dressed as a bride signing kacha badam goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Ahead of Ranbir-Alia’s wedding video of Ranu Mondal dressed as a bride signing kacha badam goes viral

Ahead of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s wedding which is scheduled for April 14, an undated video of ‘sensational internet celebrity’ Ranu Mondal started making rounds. In the viral video, Mondal is dressed as a Bengali bride and singing the Kacha Badam song.

Towards the end of the video, a man appears, but it is unclear who he is.

Renu Mondal became an internet sensation overnight in 2019 after a video of her singing the late Lata Mangeshkar song went viral. After that she was invited by singer-music director Himesh Reshamiya to Mumbai where he recorded a few videos with her. However, later on, on several occasions, she was trolled for her singing style and attitude towards ‘fans’ and media. She has also regularly insulted legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar who was not quite a fan of Mondal who was pegged as ‘Lata Mangeshkar’ back then.

Ranbir-Alia wedding to be done as per Hindu rituals, no clarity on Kanyadaan ritual yet

OpIndia Staff
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Ranbir-Alia wedding to be done as per Hindu rituals, no clarity on Kanyadaan ritual yet

On April 14, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are tying the knot. The pre-wedding ceremonies of the couple, including Mehndi, Haldi etc., have already been done. Their wedding is expected to happen as per Hindu rituals.

However, it is unclear if the Kanyadaan ceremony will take place or not. Notably, Alia Bhatt had called the ceremony regressive in an advertisement for the Manyavar brand last year.

Alia Bhatt’s father, Mahesh Bhatt is part Muslim (mother Shirin Mohammad Ali was a Muslim) and Part Gujarati Brahmin (father Nanabhai Bhatt was Gujarati Brahmin). So it is unclear if there will be Islamic rituals to be followed at the wedding or not. Similarly, her mother, Soni Razdan, is part Kashmiri Hindu (Kashmiri Pandit father, Narendra Nath Razdan) and part Christian (British-German mother, Gertrude Hoelzer). There is no clarity if any rituals from her Christian side would be followed during the wedding or not.

The pre-wedding ceremonies of the couple were held at Ranbir’s Pali Hill residence. Celebrities including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor, and Karan Johar were present at the ceremonies. Ranbir Kapoor’s mother, Neetu Kapoor, had posted a story on Instagram in which she showcased her Mehndi with the late Rishi Kapoor’s name written in it.

Neetu Kapoor uploaded Insta story of Mehndi with late Rishi Kapoor’s name. Source: Instagram

Alia Bhatt Kanyadaan controversy

Last year, Clothing brand Manyavar found itself in the midst of a controversy after one of its recently released advertisements again painted Hindu rituals and customs as ‘regressive’. The advertisement featuring Alia Bhatt portrayed ‘Kanyadaan’ as an oppressive practice and suggested ‘Kanyamaan’ as an alternative.

Manyavar claimed that it was “Promoting a progressive way of thinking, one tradition at a time!” Apparently, ‘Kanyamaan’ “gives a new spin to wedding rituals, highlighting the idea of respecting brides instead of ‘giving them away.” Manyavar had to pull down the ad after the controversy.

‘Daughters are considered property/wealth’

Busting myths around Kanyadaan, author Nityānanda Miśra explained the meaning of ‘dhan’ straight from a Sanskrit dictionary. As per the book, dhan, apart from wealth, also means ‘something that is loved and considered to be valuable.’

In Sanatan, not just daughters but even sons are considered to be ‘dhan’ which is known as ‘putradhan.’ Quoting a Sanskrit shloka, he further explains how even ‘vidya’ or knowledge and education is considered to be dhan.

According to Miśra, charity cannot be equated to merely wealth or money. In Sanatan, the concept of ‘daan’ expands from knowledge to even life, known as ‘vidyadaan’ or jeevan daan’, respectively.

Demystifying the concept of ‘kanyadaan’, Miśra further informed about the concept of ‘putradaan’ as well. He had also cited a shloka from the epic of Mahabharata to further his point. As per other texts on ‘kanyadaan’, the mantra, japas and other actions performed at the time of the ritual signify the bride as Laxmi. The symbolic act of the bride’s father giving away his daughter to Narayan (the groom) is considered as him making his daughter the ‘grace’ of somebody else’s house.

Speech at Dharma Sansad in Delhi about empowering one’s religion to prepare for existential crisis, not hate speech: Delhi Police tells Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Speech at Dharma Sansad in Delhi about empowering one’s religion to prepare for existential crisis, not hate speech: Delhi Police tells Supreme Court

The Delhi police filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in which it said that no hate speech was delivered during the ‘Dharma Sansad’ event held on December 19, 2021, in Delhi. The Dharma Sansad, held at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar from December 17-20 was organised by Yati Narasimhanand Giri of the Juna Akhada. As per a petition filed against the event, speeches were made with the objective of declaring ‘war’ against a significant section of Indian citizens.

Now, based on an in-depth investigation of the video and other material evidence, the Delhi police told the court that the speech was about empowering one’s religion and preparing for existential threats, and there was no incitement against Muslims.

“In-depth investigation of the video and other material found that no hate speech was given against any community. Therefore, after investigation and evaluation of the purported video clip, it was concluded that the alleged speech contained no hate speech against a particular community,” the Delhi Police told the apex Court.

In her affidavit, Southeast Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Isha Pandey stated that two people, SQR Ilyas and Faisal Ahmed, had filed a complaint of hate speech. She said that petitioners had claimed that the hate speech had instigated the sentiments of the people. This caused panic in the area, said Isha Pandey.

“None of the words spoken during the event described overtly or explicitly Indian Muslims as usurpers of territory and nothing was said which could create an environment of paranoia against any religion”, the police told the apex court.

The Delhi police told the court the petitioners approached the Court without first approaching the police, and as such, they have no jurisdiction to approach the Supreme Court, said the Delhi police. It added that as such if such practices are allowed, it will open the floodgates of litigation. “Such a practice must be deprecated,” said the police.

The police also condemned the petitioners for accusing them of being in cahoots with the accused. “The allegations made by the petitioners against the police authorities that police authorities are hand in glove with perpetrators of communal hate are baseless and imaginary. The case is based on videotape evidence. There is hardly any scope on the part of investigation agencies to tamper with the evidence or hamper the investigation in any manner,” it said.

After taking cognizance of the matter, the police launched an extensive investigation and discovered that there was no reference to any particular community in the video clip of the ‘Dharma Sansad’ event.

Therefore, following a thorough search, investigation, and evaluation of the alleged video clip, the police concluded that the alleged speech did not contain hate speech directed at any specific community. As a result, the police concluded their investigation and closed all the complaints files.

It may be recalled that in January this year a 5-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted by the Uttarakhand govt to probe the matter of the Dharma Sansad hate speech case in Haridwar.

A day after speeches of leaders like Yati Narsinghanand and other Hindu leaders went viral, an FIR was filed in Uttarakhand over the speeches that called upon Hindus to collect arms. The speeches were deemed provocative and social media was rife with Leftists and Islamists claiming that the speeches called for a Muslim genocide.

Subsequent to the event, Yati Narsinghanand was arrested by Uttarakhand police on January 16, 2022, and released a month later in February. Wasim Rizvi alias Jitendra Tyagi was also arrested in connection with the Haridwar ‘Dharma Sansad’ hate speech case on January 13, 2022. It is pertinent to note that former Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi had reverted to Hinduism by renouncing Islam in December last year.

Delhi High Court slams Arvind Kejriwal government over non-payment of salaries to teachers, seeks assurance of implementation of orders

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi High Court slams Arvind Kejriwal government over non-payment of salaries to teachers, seeks assurance of implementation of orders

The Delhi High Court has slammed the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government over failing the disburse the salaries of teachers employed in Government schools and colleges across Delhi. The non-payment of teachers’ dues has been an issue of much concern among the university staff, who have been raising the issue since 2021.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday slammed the Delhi Government over this issue by asserting that the non-availability of funds cannot be a ground for non-payment of salaries to teachers. “Teachers shape the future of the country. How can they be treated like this?” the Court asked the government. The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing the concerns of distressed teachers who filed multiple contempt petitions over the prolonged non-payment of their salaries, owing to the 6th and 7th Central Pay Commission.

Justice Prasad remarked “Your conduct is in complete defiance in paying salary to the teachers. They are forced to file litigation, then they are dragged to the Supreme Court, then contempt; it keeps going on.” “I don’t want a ‘we are implementing’, I want a ‘we have implemented’,” the Justice asked assurance from the government in a stern voice.

Asking the Director of Education to submit a list of teachers who are in similar positions, the court has placed the matter for a final hearing on Monday, April 18.

Non-payment of salaries to Delhi teachers

The AAP-led Delhi Government which never misses an opportunity to pat its back in the department of Education is facing the brunt of criticism from University Professors and teachers in Delhi over a prolonged non-payment of their dues. The government has failed to pay the salaries of teachers in accordance with the 6th and 7th Pay Commission even after teacher unions have gone on many strikes and protests with their demands.

In January this year, The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) submitted an online petition to Delhi LG Anil Baijal with a demand for the Delhi Government to release not partial, but full money for the payment of salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff at 12 fully financed colleges across Delhi. DUTA president Rajib Ray has alleged that Kejriwal has not fulfilled his promise made in March 2021 to the college principals about Rs 28 crore grant, due to which teachers are facing difficulty.

Amidst the financial crisis in households due to Covid-19. Delhi college teachers faced the brunt of non-payment of their salaries while their dues prior to the months of Diwali in 2021 were also not granted. Teachers led by the DUTA have been protesting over the non-payment of salaries and other dues since the start of 2021.

Dalit scholar Guru Prakash Paswan ‘cancelled’, barred from speaking about Ambedkar at Delhi’s LSR college because he is from the BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Dalit scholar Guru Prakash Paswan ‘cancelled’, barred from speaking about Ambedkar at Delhi’s LSR college because he is from the BJP

Noted Dalit Scholar and National Spokesperson of the BJP Guru Prakash Paswan was prevented from giving a lecture at the Lady Sri Ram College for Women (LSR) on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. The online event was organised by the SC-ST cell of the college and Guru Prakash was scheduled to speak on April 14 via google meet.

The shocking revelation was made by Paswan himself on his social media accounts. Paswan, who teaches Law at the Patna University as an assistant professor, was about to deliver his lecture on “Ambedkar beyond Constitution. Reportedly, he was informed on Wednesday morning, that his lecture was cancelled owing to his political affiliations. As a National Spokesperson of the BJP, Paswan has been raising issues relating to the Dalits on many national platforms, while he has also co-authored a book “Makers of Modern Dalit History” with Sudarshan Ramabadran.

However, Guru Prakash’s credentials affiliated with the BJP were enough for the leftist hegemonical establishment at Delhi’s premier college to cancel him from delivering a lecture. Ironically, his lecture on Babasaheb Ambedkar was organised by the SC-ST cell of LSR itself. Paswan has written, ” An institution can’t be an Eco chamber. As a teaching faculty, this saddens me, even more, when students close their horizons!”

He goes on to write on his Twitter, “Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence”, said Babasaheb Ambedkar. I come from a culture that believes in ‘आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः’, ‘Let noble thoughts come to me from all sides’. Sadly, what we see today is binaries, projecting one’s ideas upon the other, without the effort to engage, to know, debate and respect the other point of view.”

He further notes, “Debate and discussion is the essence of democracy. At a time when we celebrate 75 years of our independence, one thing that we ought to learn from the makers of our constitution is their ability to listen, absorb and respect other viewpoints. Babasaheb represented those values!”

Prof Paswan had already prepared his presentation on the contributions of Babasaheb Ambedkar beyond the drafting of the Constitution, while his role as an economist, diplomat and an educationist was to be highlighted. Cancelling his voice is a classic case of stifling the voices of Dalits while stopping diverse expressions coming from the community to prosper.

Many academics, thinkers and intellectuals have come to Guru Prakash Paswan’s support after the news of the cancellation of his lecture came.

The SC-ST cell at Lady Sri Ram college issued an update on Instagram while announcing the cancellation of the event. “With deep regret, the SC/ST cell, LSR is announcing the news that our Ambedkar Jayanti event stands cancelled due to some unavoidable clash of circumstances”

The nation celebrates Ambedkar Jayanti – the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar with much fervour on April 14. However, the cancellation of a Dalit scholar at the reputed Lady Sri Ram College for Women in Delhi speaks glaringly how the far-Left has managed to sabotage actual Dalit voices to further its narrow political agendas.

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