On Friday (31st December 2021) morning, miscreants hung beef packets on the doors of 3 Hindu temples and a house. in Bangladesh. The incident took place in Gendukuri village in Hatibandha Upazila in the Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh.
As per reports, polythene bags containing raw beef were hung on the doors of 3 temples, namely, Gendukuri Kuthipara Kali Mandir, Gendukuri Camp Para Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir, and Gendukuri Battala Kali Mandir. Miscreants had also placed a packet of raw beef on the door of one Monindranath Barman, a Hindu. When the incident came to light, the Hindus in the region filed 4 complaints with the Hatibandha police.
They also protested against the act of desecration at the Sri Sri Radha Govinda temple. The aggrieved Hindus had vowed to continue their protests until the culprits are arrested. The police have reportedly assured the Hindu community of prompt action. “All involved will be brought to book,” remarked police (Hatibandha) in-charge Ershadul Alam.
While speaking about the matter, Hatibandha Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad president Dilip Kuma Singh informed that big packets were hung on the doors of 3 temples and one house. He said, “Police have assured us that the culprits will be arrested.” Singh announced that the act of desecration could be connected to the Local union Parishad polls that were held on December 26 last year.
Durga Puja Pandal attacks in Bangladesh
In the wee hours of October 13, 2021, radical Islamists had entered the Nanuar Dighir Par Durga Mandir in Cumilla district and placed a copy of the Quran on the feet of the idol of Lord Hanuman. According to Shibu Prasad Dutta, the general secretary of Cumilla Mahanagar Puja Udjapon Committee, someone carried out the mischief in the morning when the guard was asleep.
“The miscreants took some pictures of this and ran away. Within a few hours, using Facebook, the propaganda spread like wildfire with the provocative pictures,” confirmed a district official. The foundation for orchestrating a Hindu pogrom was perfectly laid – The insult of the ‘Holy Book’, the punishment for which is death.
While blaming the Hindu community for the desecration of the Quran, Islamists vandalised the Durga Puja pandal and the idols of the deities kept at the Nanuar Dighir Par Durga Mandir in Cumilla. According to Dipan Mitra, the Islamic extremists also attacked the Nrisingh Dev and Dashavuja Kali temples. He added that the mob also destroyed the Rishipara temple, Rajeswari Kali temple, besides 14 other temples and Durga pandals in the district.
On October 15 last year, Islamists had attacked the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in the Noakhali district of Bangladesh. In a tweet, the official handle of ISKCON wrote, “ISKCON temple & devotees were violently attacked today by a mob in Noakhali, Bangladesh. Temple suffered significant damage & the condition of a devotee remains critical. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all Hindus & bring the perpetrators to justice.”
On January 3, Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan said in a tweet that her vehicle was fired at and held at gunpoint while she was coming back from her nephew’s wedding. She attacked her ex-husband and questioned if the incident was a projection of his ‘New Pakistan’ rhetoric.
On the way back from my nephew’s marriage my car just got fired at & two men on a motorbike held vehicle at gunpoint!! I had just changed vehicles. My PS & driver were in the car. This is Imran Khan’s New Pakistan? Welcome to the state of cowards, thugs & the greedy!!
Reham said, “On the way back from my nephew’s marriage, my car just got fired at & two men on a motorbike held vehicle at gunpoint!! I had just changed vehicles. My PS & driver were in the car. This is Imran Khan’s New Pakistan? Welcome to the state of cowards, thugs & the greedy!!” The tweet was posted on the intervening night of January 2 and January 3.
In a follow-up tweet, she said the government of Pakistan should be held accountable for whatever happened, and she was ready to take a bullet for her homeland. She said, “I choose to live & die like the average Pakistani in Pakistan. Whether it was a cowardly targeted attack or just the state of lawlessness on the main highway of the twin cities…this so-called government should be held accountable for it! For my homeland, I can take a bullet!”
I choose to live & die like the average Pakistani in Pakistan. Whether it was a cowardly targeted attack or just the state of lawlessness on the main highway of the twin cities…this so called government should be held accountable for it! For my homeland I can take a bullet! https://t.co/d3J5mj8xVc
While waiting for a copy of FIR at Shams Colony Police Station, Islamabad, she said, “It’s 9 am. My PS & team has not had a minute of sleep & the FIR still has not been registered in Shams Colony Police Station Islamabad. The investigation is ongoing. Waiting for a copy of the FIR.”
It’s 9 am My PS & team has not had a minute of sleep & the FIR still has not been registered in Shams Colony Police Station Islamabad. Investigation is ongoing. Waiting for a copy of the FIR.
Later, in a tweet, she said she did not fear death or injury but was outraged and concerned about what her team had to go through.
Allah Malik but I am feeling guilty about those close to me having to go through this. My staff loves me more than family & for them to take these risks & go through personal sacrifice is too disturbing. A lovely family celebration marred by this awful incident. https://t.co/aPDxnCwurk
Reham Khan is a journalist of British-Pakistani origin. She was briefly married to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. She married him in January 2015 in a low-key ceremony and filed for divorce in October, just after ten months of marriage. In the autobiography she released in 2018, Reham made some allegations against Imran Khan.
Reham Khan, a journalist of British-Pakistani origin, was briefly married to Imran. She released an autobiography in 2018, in which she made some damning claims against the Pakistan Prime Minister. She levelled accusations of sexual harassment against Khan in her autobiography.
As per reports, there are instances of rampant sexual coercion and use of sexual favours within the ranks of PTI, including some directly related to Imran Khan. His former wife, Reham Khan has called out Imran Khan on multiple occasions and called him ‘fake’ and a ‘hypocrite who would do anything to get power’. In 2019, she called Khan a closet bigot and claimed he regularly made derogatory comments on Hindus.
TMC member Saket Gokhale is in the eye of a raging political storm after he came under public scrutiny for misappropriation of funds he collected through donations. As murky details of his swindling came to the fore, along with the allegations of sexual misconduct against him, a nefarious campaign is underway that provides a glimpse into the pervasive hate speech that goes around unchecked in the country.
With Saket Gokhale under the scanner for swindling money he sought in the name of activism, a raft of disillusioned left-leaning liberals have attributed Gokhale’s depravity to his Brahminical roots so as to salvage eroding public trust from the leftist ideology, of which Saket was and continues to remain one of its staunch adherents.
Many leftists, who have now become a butt of jokes on social media for being conned by a man who tapped their hate against PM Modi, resorted to what they have been doing since time immemorial: play the victim card and pass the buck on the Brahmins for their misery. After Gokhale was exposed for his swindling, allegations were hurled by the critics at the left ecosystem for harbouring and hailing people with questionable character. In opposition to this, the left-leaning ideologues and their supporters displayed unmatched alacrity in highlighting the TMC member’s Brahmin roots and blaming it for his wrongdoings.
Leftists highlight Gokhale’s Brahminical roots to spew venom against Brahmins
“A Brahmin man comes, loots this world of 22 lakhs and then loses all shit when people question him and cries saying he is a victim knowing fully well that he will get away in this system no matter what. This Brahmin audacity & entitlement needs to be put down,” said one of the Twitter users who appeared to be inclined towards the Left.
Source: Twitter
Others too highlighted misappropriation of funds by Saket Gokhale to insinuate how Brahmins are untrustworthy and deceitful.
Source: Twitter
Yet another Twitter user, Dilip Mandal, vilified Brahmins by asserting that Saket Gokhale’s misappropriation of funds is similar how to priests demand money by promising people to provide them with a better afterlife. Mandal also stated that this habit is longstanding and it would not go away too easily.
Source: Twitter
The Left spews anti-Brahmin vitriol as it tries to evade public reckoning over Saket Gokhale saga
Gokhale, before his undoing, was one of the blue-eyed boys of the liberal intelligentsia and supporters, who routinely interacted with him on various social media platforms and hailed his work for fighting against the “fascist” central government. Gokhale, for his part, had routinely and emphatically associated himself with the liberal ideology, something which the left-leaning liberals never rejected or questioned.
Now, as they feel cheated by one of their own and scathing questions are being raised on the ideology that attracts such immorality, the leftists have tried to deflect the criticism by reinforcing the victimhood narrative. Brahmins are being targeted now because Saket Gokhale happens to be a Brahmin. The fact that he never emphasised his Brahmin roots or revelled in being a Brahmin is not an important nugget of information that is worth enunciating because doing so would expose the moral decay that is plaguing the Left.
Moreover, since Saket is not from the BJP or the RSS, the organisations that have been ceaselessly reviled by the Left, the left supporters cannot dehumanise him the way they have come to dehumanise BJP and RSS workers who had been victims of hate crimes perpetrated against him. Therefore, the Left ecosystem is using Saket as a stick to beat Brahmins and propagate their anti-Brahmin propaganda to emerge from this imbroglio unscathed.
Instead of admitting that their hatred for PM Modi had clouded their judgment about the character of a person they were entrusting their hard-earned money with to continue his activism, the leftists are hiding their tomfoolery now by spewing venom against the Brahmins and making sweeping generalisations about Brahmins being innately fraud. Because doing otherwise could be catastrophic for the cause of left-liberalism. Admitting their own gullibility for being duped by Saket Gokhale would not only highlight their own fallibility but will also weaken the public confidence in the Left ideology. Therefore, they are now disingenuously calling attention to Saket Gokhale’s Brahmin roots and disparaging Brahmins for the vices of one of their own.
Nevertheless, the entire episode demonstrates how hate speech against Brahmins is rampant in India. It shows that Brahmins in our country do not enjoy the same citizenship status as accorded to the minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, whose rights are vigorously defended by the left-leaning liberals. A few weeks back, the entire liberal ecosystem swung into action to condemn Yati Narsighanand Saraswati for his remarks made at ‘Dharma Sansad’ in Haridwar. By contrast, the same level of concern was not extended to Brahmins. Instead, the Left continues to regard them as fair game, as expendable commodities who can be sacrificed on the altar of their ideology. This allows the Left to not only reinforce their anti-Brahmin propaganda but also aides them in pulling a veil over their association with Saket Gokhale.
Saket Gokhale accused of misappropriating funds collected from Modi haters
Rahul Gandhi fanboy turned TMC member Saket Gokhale came under scrutiny for alleged misappropriation of funds after poet and writer Hussain Haidry and several others raised demanded accountability from the activist politician on the utilisation of funds collected through fundraising campaigns.
Saket Gokhale was collecting funds through online fundraising campaigns for several years now and has collected lakhs of Rupees. But despite several donors and social media users demanding the details of the utilisation of the funds, he has been refusing to provide the same. When he was working as a Congress supporter, several Congress members and supporters had demanded accountability from him, but he had refused to provide.
It is alleged that all Saket Gokhale does is file online petitions for free and does not follow up with his petitions in courts. Therefore, he does not spend any money on his ‘activism’, and all the money donated to him by Congress workers and supporters go towards his personal expense.
Therefore, Hussain Haidry has demanded that Saket Gokhale give the details of how he spent the money he raised through fundraising campaigns. He said that hundreds and thousands of people, especially Muslims, have donated to Gokhale in the last 2-3 years in small amounts, but no stupendous work has been done by him.
He said that Saket Gokhale never replies if one asks for CA audited receipt and payment accounts till date, and status of work done till date in terms of FIR, PIL, RTI, Complaints filed with cost per case.
As allegations of misappropriation of funds started being levelled against Saket Gokhale and users demanded him to get his account audited, the TMC leader brazened it out, stating that he had already mentioned that funds he had procured through crowdfunding would be for his “sustenance” and that one does not promise “audited accounts” for monthly living expenses.
The Supreme Court on Monday, January 3, asked the central government to consider the repatriation plea of Sonia Sabastian alias Ayisha, an ISIS bride from Kerala, who had left India to join the terrorist group ISIS and is currently lodged in a jail in Afghanistan, reports Live Law.
The apex court has asked the central government to consider the request of VJ Sebastian Francis from Kerala, who had approached the Supreme Court in August last year, for its response and directions on the extradition of his daughter Sonia Sabastian alias Ayisha and his 7-year-old granddaughter.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice BR Gavai has granted eight weeks to the Union government to file its response in the case. The bench also granted freedom to VJ Sebastian to approach the High Court under Article 226 if he is not satisfied with the decision taken by the Union Government regarding the extradition of his daughter and granddaughter from Afghanistan.
Advocate Ranjith Marar, representing the petitioner, stated that the plea was filed in July 2021, prior to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Despite the fact that the prisons were razed after the Taliban took power, the counsel argued that Sonia and her daughter could still be jailed because there have been reports of detainees being held in border areas.
Hearing the plea, Justice Nageswara Rao observed: “We can direct the government to take a decision on your request because extradition matters are not matters where we can given decisions on…. all these are matters for the government to decide.”
Father of Kerala ISIS terrorist bride approaches SC, asks court to direct Centre to repatriate daughter and grandaughter
Earlier in 2021, VJ Sebastian Francis from Kerala has approached the Supreme Court for directions on the extradition of his daughter Sonia Sabastian alias Ayisha and his 7-year-old granddaughter. In his petition, Francis said that the authorities should take necessary action to extradite his daughter and granddaughter. He had further claimed that the issue was urgent as the political and administrative scene in Afghanistan would change substantially after the exit of US troops. Blaming the Centre for not facilitating the extradition, he alleged that the government’s stand was ‘illegal and unconstitutional’. He also alleged it was a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
Reportedly, When Ayisha left India to join ISIS, a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was filed against her. In 2017, Interpol also issued a Red Corner notice against her. After she reached Afghanistan, her husband was killed in the war, and she had to surrender to Afghan forces in November 2019 along with other women.
Govt of India had declined to facilitate return of four Kerala women who had joined ISIS
The government of India had earlier announced that it would not allow the return of four Kerala women who had joined ISIS namely Sonia alias Ayisha, Merrin Jacob alias Mariyam, Nimisha alias Fathima, and another woman named Raffaela.
Soon after, Bindu Sampath, the mother of ISIS terrorist Nimisha Fathima had also urged the Indian government to bring her daughter back from Afghanistan. She had reportedly said: “I’ve heard that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very kind-hearted person. I have full faith in him.”
Bindu lamented that she had not received any communication from the Indian government so far. “But I am very positive because there will be other views also in the government. I am banking on that. I believe in God. I am sure that God will create a situation for her return,” she had opined.
It is notable here that when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, jails were broken and many former prisoners were set free. As of now, since the country is being run by the Taliban and it is not formally recognised by most governments in the world, there is no status update on former prisoners of the erstwhile government of Afghanistan. Indian citizens residing in Afghanistan legally with valid documents were evacuated by special flights arranged by the Indian government.
Sonia Sebastian alias Ayisha went to join ISIS with her husband Abdullah Rashid
Sebastian, together with a group of 21 men and women from Kerala, departed India in 2016 to join the ISKP in Afghanistan, according to a charge sheet submitted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2017. They had crossed the border from Iran to Afghanistan on foot. Sebastian, from Kasargod in Kerala, and her husband, Abdul Rashid Abdulla, departed India on May 31, 2016, according to the NIA.
Sonia Sebastian had earlier stated that
The NIA has been investigating cases where several non-Muslim women from Kerala were first converted, then married to Muslims and had then gone on to join ISIS as terrorists. ISIS recruitment and radicalisation of youth has been rampant in certain pockets of Kerala.
Meghalaya Governor Satyapal Malik has claimed that PM Modi behaved ‘arrogantly’ with him and refused to discuss the issue of farmers. He has stated that his discussions turned into arguments within 5 minutes.
मैं जब किसानों के मामले में प्रधानमंत्री जी से मिलने गया तो मेरी 5 मिनट में ही लड़ाई हो गई। वो बहुत घमंड में थे। जब मैंने उनसे कहा हमारे 500 लोग मर गए तो उन्होंने कहा- मेरे लिए मरे हैं?
The Meghalaya Governor was seen making the claims at an event in Dadri, Haryana. Malik claimed that during a meeting with the PM, he had raised the issue of farmers’ death and the PM had responded ‘arrogantly’. Malik claimed that his discussion became an argument within 5 minutes and when he said that over 500 farmers have died, (in the protests), the PM became angry and asked “Did they die because of me?”
Malik further claimed that he replied to the PM saying “Yes they died because of you, you were made king due to their votes. You send condolences even when a dog dies but you have been silent on this issue.” He added that the PM had asked him to meet Home Minister Amit Shah. He further added that Amit Shah told him that he (the PM) has ‘lost it’. The Meghalaya governor did not specify when exactly this particular meeting had taken place.
Throughout the video, the Governor was seen impolite words for the PM.
Satyapal Malik has been giving rogue statements regarding the farmer protests for months. He has been repeating the opposition’s stance. In an earlier video, he was seen giving threats to PM Modi, saying that he will meet the fate of Indira Gandhi (assassination by Khalistani terrorists) if he does not accept the demands of farmers.
Days after Congress loyalist-turned-TMC member Saket Gokhale came under public scrutiny for misappropriation of funds, allegations of sexual misconduct have now surfaced, allegedly against him. Akashi Kaul, an ardent supporter of Gokhale, issued a statement on the misappropriation of funds by a “certain individual” and levelled allegations of sexual misconduct as well. While Kaul did not name ‘names’, netizens inferred that she had Gokhale in mind.
In a statement, Kaul said, “An erstwhile online acquaintance I was closely associated with is now in the eye of the online storm for possible and alleged misappropriation of funds raised for a social good and lack of transparency while demanding government transparency (the irony).”
“My association with them was an international, online one, and they came very highly recommended by everyone that is now realizing that they are scum. It was only on coming back to India, meeting them and hearing one too many (in that even one is too many and I would do well to remember that in the future) stories of sexual misconduct, including being allegedly fired from their position at a political party for the same, that I begun to realize my mistake in associating with them,” she added.
Akashi Kaul admitted that she had prior knowledge of the allegations of sexual misconduct but was ‘slow’ in severing ties with the accused. She claimed, “I have since, made some noise about their sexual misconduct, in my capacity as a third party privy to private knowledge. However clearly, in our great country, outraging the modesty of a woman isn’t as the grave of a crime as misappropriation of funds is.”
She added, “In my personal opinion, I do not believe this person is an activist or a crusader for any cause. They are an opportunist, shunned by the political party they tried to get currency in and therefore going to the next available option, all in pursuit of a Rajya Sabha seat. They do not have the credentials or ability to run for an election at any level and their only claim to fame is a Kardashian-esque drama baiting game.”
Given her long-standing association with Saket Gokhale and her outrage following the fund embezzlement controversy, netizens were quick to point out that Kaul’s statement was in reference to the ongoing allegations against the RTI activist and TMC worker, Saket Gokhale. Social media users questioned her silence about Gokhale’s alleged sexual misconduct, despite being privy to the accusations. The fact that Akashi Kaul has not diverted the questions and not explicitly said that she is not talking about Saket Gokhale, it is safe to assume that it was indeed the TMC worker against whom these allegations have been made.
“Irony – You sarcastically say that in India misappropriation of funds is a bigger issue than outraging the modesty of woman but you yourself were quiet about the allegations of sexual misconduct and spoke only after misappropriation of funds issue came to light!” wrote one Twitter user. In her defence, Akashi Kaul claimed that she openly spoke about the allegations on Clubhouse for months.
Screengrab of the tweets
Another user asked, “Haven’t you been a part of their/ his clubhouse repeatedly even after knowing about the sexual misconduct part?” Instead of directly responding to the question, Kaul stated, “No. Then again, I don’t need to justify my actions to anyone but those I’m answerable to. Please hold your elected representatives as accountable as you’re holding me.”
Screengrab of the tweets
Twitter user, Opinion Bakery, pointed out, “This good lady was Saket Gokhale’s biggest champion on Clubhouse. Fascinating how she confesses to being aware of SG’s improper behaviour with women but chooses to speak up only now. That too in a mealy-mouthed manner without naming him directly. The “truth to power” gang”
This good lady was Saket Gokhale’s biggest champion on Clubhouse
Fascinating how she confesses to being aware of SG’s improper behaviour with women but chooses to speak up only now. That too in a mealy mouthed manner without naming him directly
Another Twitter user stated how Kaul’s claims could be inferred as ‘politically motivated’ since the latter only spoke about it after starting to hate Gokhale’s politics. “If you raise the alarm about a person being a sexual predator only when you no longer like someone’s politics, you put the victim and other women at risk. You also give him the chance to claim it is politically motivated,” the user said.
If you raise the alarm about a person being a sexual predator only when you no longer like someone’s politics, you put the victim and other women at risk. You also give him the chance to claim it is politically motivated. https://t.co/fjZAyMNL4N
It must be mentioned that Akashi Kaul had once hosted a Clubhouse room and named it “Sanghiyon ka Safai Abhiyaan.” During the discussion, she targeted several women and even labelled Opindia Editor Nupur J Sharma as ‘tramp’. Kaul has been the subject of fierce criticism on Twitter for remaining silent despite knowing about the sexual misconduct by her confidante.
On Sunday (December 2), political analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra tweeted, “Looks like the women of the left are finally beginning to acknowledge the multiple instances of serious misconduct by Saket Gokhale. I hope they find the courage to talk about it publicly and not hide their experiences because he belongs to the same ideological spectrum.”
.2 Major & serious allegations of not just misconduct, but “outraging of modesty” by Saket Gokhale. Anyone who knows Akashi from clubhouse would know she was close to him. There are several ladies alleging this as can be seen from two separate ladies. pic.twitter.com/dhPBBd7r29
“Major & serious allegations of not just misconduct, but “outraging of modesty” by Saket Gokhale. Anyone who knows Akashi from clubhouse would know she was close to him. There are several ladies alleging this as can be seen from two separate ladies,” he added.
From the tweets of Abhijit, it is evident that he is hinting that allegations against Saket Gokhale were doing the rounds for a long time, just that, the friends of Saket have managed to speak up only after the financial scam allegations gathered steam.
Accusations of fund embezzlement, misuse of public money in procurement of drugs
In February 2021, allegations of fraud were made against Gokhale by several people, including left liberals. An AAP supporter named Amit Behere had accused Gokhale of wasting money by filing RTIs, which have had absolutely “zero return on investment”.
He had alleged that the donations to the Congress loyalist had obtained no results for the common public, except for personal benefit. In 2020, Gokhale had claimed to have collected over ₹ 22 lakhs to take on the ‘BJP hate machine’ and launched a ‘campaign to take down hate-speech mongers’ on social media.
In March 2021, a complaint was lodged with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) against Saket Gokhale by the Legal activist group Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), accusing him of earning drug money through the means of crowdfunding. According to LRO, Saket Gokhale is the son of a former police officer, who was once accused in a drug trafficking case.
On Thursday (December 30, 2021), poet and writer Hussain Haidry raised the issue, demanding accountability from Saket Gokhale on the utilisation of funds collected through fundraising campaigns. He has demanded that Saket Gokhale give the details of how he spent the money he raised through fundraising campaigns.
He said that hundreds and thousands of people, especially Muslims, have donated to Gokhale in the last 2-3 years in small amounts, but no stupendous work has been done by him. Haidry received widespread support on Twitter demanding answers from Saket Gokhale.
It is interesting to note that Saket Gokhale himself had said that he is a full-time activist, and therefore the amount collected helps pay his expenses. He had also claimed that he ropes in more people, and their expenses are also paid from the donation money.
Note: There are wide speculations about the person mentioned in Akashi Kaul’s statement being Saket Gokhale given that she issued the statement in the light of allegations of misappropriation of funds surfacing against Saket Gokhale. Even Abhijit Iyer Mitra had hinted that the allegations of sexual harassment were floating for a long time. However, to be sure, we reached out to Saket Gokhale. He has not responded to the allegations so far. If and when he does, this article will be updated with his statement.
25-year-old divyang chess player Malika Handa lashed out at the Punjab government for its inability to fulfil the promise of a job and cash reward on Sunday. Malika posted on Twitter that during a meeting with the state Sports Minister Pargat Singh on December 31, she was informed that the government could not help her as there was no policy for deaf players.
She wrote she was feeling hurt. She met the sports minister of Punjab on December 31. He said the Punjab govt could not give job or cash awards because they do not have a policy for deaf sports.
She wrote, “I am only asking why was the reward announced. I wasted 5 years on the Congress government. They fooled me. They do not care about deaf sports. The district Congress leaders had promised to support me during these 5 years but nothing has happened till now. Why is the Punjab government doing this?”
Malika, who has won gold and two silver medals at the international level, was promised a job and cash reward by the former sports minister of Punjab. She added she was only asking for what was promised to her by the former sports minister. She alleged that the state govt had fooled her and accused them of not caring about the deaf sportsperson. She said the district Congress members also told showed their support, but nothing had happened in five years. “Why, why Punjab govt doing this ?” she added.
Suresh Handa, her father, was quoted by Tribune. He said, “Malika is very upset today. My son Atul Handa and I had accompanied her to the office of Director Sports, but she almost got a refusal. My daughter has been playing the game for the past 8-10 years and has been bringing medals for the country and the state just with a hope that these would fetch her job offer just like other Olympians and para-athletes.”
He further added for the past 2-3 years, she was told to complete her graduation to get a good government job. She approached the Director of Sports as she had completed her graduation. “She got the reply that there was no policy yet in the state to offer jobs to hearing-impaired athletes. This is the fag end of the tenure of the present government. If they have not made a policy till now, they will be able to make it even in the next three months. My daughter has lost all hopes, and it is really difficult to convince her at this stage,” he added.
DPS Kharbanda, Director Sports, Punjab, said, “Malika came to me with her father and brother. They discussed her case with me for good 30-40 minutes. I told them that the government has a policy for able-bodied players and para-athletes (arms and legs handicap) but none of the other 21 types of disabilities, which includes blindness, hearing disorders or mental retardness.”
He further added that the Punjab government would soon come up with the policy, but “I told the parents to make her apply for other government jobs like that of a constable. She has a state certificate in the able-bodied general category, where the department can help her get a job under the 3 per cent quota. We can also help her with Central Government jobs where there already is a policy for deaf players. She must not lose her heart. The government and the department will back her wherever it can on a merit basis.”
Tribune further reported that the Sports Minister had extended her Rs 11 cash reward ‘over and above the policy. Notably, Malika has been asking for the financial support and job that the Punjab govt promised. In November last year, she posted on Twitter that she had been waiting for the Punjab govt’s invite for the job and cash rewards for two months as she was a graduate now, but the state government was not paying any attention to her requests.
On Sunday, January 2, 2020, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal announced the latest Covid-19 curbs in the state. The long list of restrictions includes:
All schools, colleges, universities, spas, salons, beauty parlours, swimming pools, zoos, and entertainment parks will remain closed in West Bengal from Monday, January 3, 2022.
All government and private offices will operate at 50 per cent capacity; all administrative meetings will henceforth ve conducted via virtual mode.
Local trains in West Bengal will run with 50 per cent capacity till 7 in the evening. No local trains will be allowed on tracks post- 7 pm. All long-distance trains, however, will continue running as they are.
All tourist places in West Bengal shall remain closed from January 3, Monday.
Flights to Kolkata from Delhi and Mumbai will only be allowed on two days of the week – Monday and Friday.
All religious, cultural, and social gatherings in the state will have to ensure that they only allow 50 people at the most.
Shopping malls and market complexes may function with a restricted entry of people by not exceeding 50 per cent of the capacity at a time and up to 10 pm.
Restaurants and bars may operate with 50 per cent of the capacity at a time and up to 10 pm. The same restrictions and timings hold true for cinema halls and theatres.
Meetings and conferences shall be allowed with a maximum of 200 people at a time or 50 per cent seating capacity of the hall, whichever is lower.
No more than 50 persons shall be allowed for marriage-related ceremonies.
No more than 20 persons shall be allowed for funeral/burial services and last rites
Kolkata Metro services shall operate with 50 per cent seating capacity as per usual operational time.
The movement of people and vehicles and public gatherings of any kind shall be prohibited between 10 pm to 5 am. Only essential and emergency services shall be permitted.
Moreover, following in the footsteps of states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Mamata Banerjee has also imposed a 10 pm to 5 am night curfew, bringing the state into a semi-lockdown situation owing to the sudden spike in the Covid cases in the state in the last festive week.
The West Bengal CM has suddenly risen to the worrisome scenario that the state has found itself in, post the Christmas and news year celebration week. Though we’d like to assume the Chief Minister of West Bengal sincerely wishes to assist her people in overcoming this looming threat, she may have closed the stable door after the horse bolted.
Kolkata’s Christmas frenzy amid Covid scare
West Bengal’s capital city, Kolkata appears to be reverting to the condition where practically everyone had a family member, friend, or acquaintance infected with COVID-19 once again – and pretty suddenly. And, many see the Christmas celebrations on Park Street as having contributed to the sudden spurt of Covid infections in the city.
While many other states had imposed additional restrictions for Christmas and New Year celebrations in India amid the Omicron scare, West Bengal CM had relaxed the night curfew (11 pm – 5 am) from December 24, 2021, to January 1, 2022, in view of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Thousands of people in Kolkata were seen crowding public places to celebrate Christmas on December 25, Saturday with few wearing masks and even fewer showing any caution.
Social media had been rife with videos and images from Kolkata’s iconic Park Street where large crowds were seen surging past the street.
Is international media blaming Kolkata’s Park Street Christmas celebration for 6,153 new Covid cases reported in West Bengal? pic.twitter.com/b3Gn35IZ6R
Thousands of people travelled to several tourist spots in the city and elsewhere on Christmas Day, in addition to Park Street. Since the morning, large groups have been seen without masks at the city’s favourite locations such as Alipore Zoo, Eco Park, Victoria Memorial, Millennium Park, and Indian Museum.
Remarking on the troublesome condition the state has pushed itself in, Dr Punyabrata Gun of WBDF opined that the “people not maintaining COVID-appropriate behaviour and the government not implementing restrictions have resulted in the spike.”
Covid cases in West Bengal see a 10 times spike during Christmas week
According to the data available, the city reported 204 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, December 27 but the number of such cases shot up to 1954 on Friday, December 31, almost 10 times in five days.
Meanwhile, in the last 24-hours, as many as 6,153 more people tested positive for Covid-19 across West Bengal and of the total Kolkata alone accounted for 3,194 cases.
Mismanagement of the Covid pandemic in West Bengal
The situation in which West Bengal is in at the moment is a genuine cause of concern but the people here are not completely oblivious to it. When the second wave of Covid-19 surged in India, several states had imposed a strict lockdown, or put restrictions against gatherings to curb the growing number of cases. However, as the festival of Eid had approached, covid appropriate norms went for a toss in several cities as people thronged markets for festival shopping, and West Bengal was also one of the top contenders.
Besides, one should not forget, how, during the first wave of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the Mamata Banerjee government had been heavily criticised for grossly mismanaging the crisis. In fact, in May 2020, one Kabir Shankar Bose had filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court expressing grievances regarding the alleged mismanagement of the Wuhan Coronavirus crisis by the West Bengal government.
From under-reporting of the actual number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases in the state to discreetly disposing of bodies of coronavirus victims across Bengal to not sending enough samples for COVID19 testing, the Mamata Banerjee-led government had been accused of covering up the extent of the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus in the state by various quarters.
In this instance, almost every state, including Delhi, had imposed strict restrictions on Christmas and New Year celebrations. Mamata Banerjee, however, refused to impose restrictions and let crowds gather unhindered. Now, when the crowding has already been done and the risk of Omicron infection is on the rise, Banerjee has imposed restrictions to convince people that she is taking the COVID threat seriously and is attempting to give the people of Bengal a hint of governance. It would certainly appear as though Mamata Banerjee is trying to close the door of the stable while the horse has already bolted given that the large gatherings would have already put several thousand people at risk for Omicron infection.
Fundraising platforms and people seeking funds from the public are both aplenty nowadays. There are several fundraising portals that provide an option to collect funds for social work, such as Ketto, Donatekart and others. While a lot of good comes out of fundraisers, there have been instances where the funding seekers got into soup for allegedly misusing the funds. Here is a list of top controversial fundraisers that raised funds and eyebrows at the same time.
Saket Gokhale and his fundraiser that he said was his ‘salary’
Saket Gokhale emerged on the social media platforms claiming to be a ‘crusader’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS and BJP. He projected himself as an RTI activist and expressed his desire to ‘bring change’ in society by ‘exposing government’. In 2019, Gokhale launched a fundraiser and claimed he wanted to do RTI activism full time, and for that, he asked for support from his fellow liberals. He managed to raise lakhs of rupees for the alleged activism.
Gokhale tweeted a link to his crowdfunding platform asking people to cough up money because he chose to give up his ‘cushy job’ to ‘fight the BJP/RSS’, which he usually did with filing frivolous RTIs which cost Rs 10. He urged other Modi haters to assemble and pay him so he could pay his bills and not have to take up a regular job. At that time, he promised that he would give an account of every paisa he raised via fundraisers.
Gokhale submitted several RTIs and projected he was doing what he was paid for. However, as time passed by, his RTIs allegedly did not have any impact that the donors had anticipated. He raised several accusations against leaders and their family members that turned out to be ballooned up out of proportion.
Source: Twitter
One of the fine examples was the allegations raised against IFS officer Lakshmi Puri, wife of union minister Hardeep Singh Puri. He alleged she bought a house worth $2.5 million in Switzerland, for which the couple did not have enough legitimate sources of income. During the hearing of the defamation case filed against him by Lakshmi Puri, the court slammed Gokhale for his defamatory tweets against a former diplomat without any due diligence.
Then came the time when visibly Congress supporter, who donned his profile image with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on social media platforms, joined politics. From all the parties, he chose Trinamool Congress. More eyebrows were raised, and finally, on January 1, he announced that he was not obliged to give “audited accounts” for his monthly living expenses. He has since claimed that the money he had raised from crowdfunding is his ‘salary’.
Rana Ayyub and the curious case of returning foreign funds
Rana Ayyub, another habitual fake news peddler who writes Islamist propaganda, had projected herself as the messiah of the poor and marginalized during the pandemic.
In the now-closed fundraisers on Ketto, Rana Ayyub had asked people to donate money for her cause. Interestingly, she was not associated with any NGO. Also, being a journalist, as per the FCRA guidelines, she cannot raise foreign funds. However, in her fundraising campaigns, foreign donations were accepted.
Her first fundraiser was successful, so she launched another one during the second wave of Covid-19, which was again successful. She managed to collect more than one crore rupees in donations and often published photographs of herself donating food and other necessary items to the needy.
But there was a catch. As per the fundraising platform guidelines, the campaign organizer is responsible for paying taxes and getting all required documentation. However, she appeared to get paid by the fundraising platform without submitting the FCRA documents in the first case.
After the second fundraiser, objections were raised on a social media platform, and she had to return the foreign funding. She alleged that she tried to associate with an NGO to route the foreign funds but could not. She also alleged that the government was using her “charity work” to target her. At one point, Ketto had to come forward and issue a statement that her fundraiser was under probe.
Jignesh Mevani
In May 2021, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani backed a fundraiser launched by ‘We The People Charitable Trust’. After raising some funds under the name, complaints were raised against him as another NGO by the name ‘We The People Charitable Society’ had already existed.
The charity commissioner has pointed out that an NGO already existed under the name ‘We The People Charitable Society’ and demanded to know why action should not be taken against the Trust for registering itself under a name very similar to the one that already existed.
Eventually, the accounts linked to the NGO were frozen by the authorities. Mevani, on the other hand, alleged there was something wrong with the intentions of the authorities, and there was nothing wrong with the NGO. Notably, politicians cannot raise foreign funds under FCRA regulations.
The Shehla Rashid and Deepika Singh Rajawat fiasco
Former JNU student, politician and alleged activist Shehla Rashid in association with controversial lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat ran a fundraiser campaign in 2018, claiming they were collecting money for the Kathua Rape victim. Lakhs were raised during the fundraiser but soon, allegations emerged where the family of the victim claimed that they had not received the money.
Notably, one of the main activists of the campaign, Talib Hussain, was later arrested on rape charges and was sent to jail. Shehla gave multiple reasons to prove her innocence such as opening a joint account was difficult due to lack of Aadhaar card, how there was no way to directly transfer funds to the victim’s family’s account etc. The reporter who broke the story first, about the family claiming they had not received the money, stood by his statement and claimed he had recordings of the family members alleging that they had not received the money.
Interestingly, Deepika Singh Rajawat has joined Congress and currently serving as Spokesperson of the Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee. It is noteworthy that Rajawat was fired by the victim’s family alleging she did not appear for the court hearings. Reports suggested she only attended two out of 110 hearings.
Source: Twitter
Shehla Rashid was also a part of the Jammu & Kashmir People’s movement, a political party that was floated by IAS officer Shah Faesal.
It is pertinent to mention here that a report in NewsClick claimed that the parents had later confirmed the receipt of about Rs 18 L from the fundraiser supported by Shehla Rashid.
Teesta Setalvad and accusations of embezzling money meant for Godhra riot victims
Another noteworthy mention in this list is of Teesta Setalvad, a full-time aandolanjeevi. She has been accused of financial fraud and embezzling money meant for Godhra riot victims. In 2015, accusations were levelled against her for misusing funds that tuned to approx 1.51 crores collected for the Godhra riot victims.
Reports suggested that one of her trusts violated FCRA laws. Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Limited (SCPPL), with which Teesta is associated, received $ 2.9 lakh from Ford Foundation as a grant to “address communalism, caste-based discrimination in India, including media strategies”. Notably, unlike the Sabrang Trust, the SCPPL was not registered under FCRA, hence not eligible to receive foreign funds.
CBI conducted searches at her residence and offices in connection to the case. The Gujarat Police said that Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand had spent money collected for constructing a memorial for riot victims and their aid on personal expenses that included wine and liquor, expensive mobile phones, movie CDs, romantic novels, hair-styling, dining, among other avenues. According to the police, the two committed “colossal fraud”.
Further investigation revealed that out of the funds Sabrang Trust received between 2009-13, 45% were transferred to Setalvad and her husband’s account either directly or through SCPPL. It also said that she drew a salary of Rs. 8.75 lakhs and flew 113 times in a year.
Among her many FCRA related issues, it was discovered that Rs 1 lakh was allegedly transferred to a domestic account, which is considered as misutilisation of funds. Furthermore, 65% of the foreign funds were spent on administrative expenses, something that is not allowed as per law.
Setalvad and others were booked under Sections 13 (1)(D) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as under Sections 120 B, 153 A, 153 B, 406, 409 and 420 of the IPC in 2018.
So-called child-environment activist Licypriya Kangujam, who was often called ‘Greta of India’, had started a fundraiser during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. She got herself associated with Delhi-based NGO Noble Citizen Foundation and raised over 75 lakhs for oxygen cylinders and concentrators. However, there were several problems with the campaign. First of all, FCRA regulations were not followed which collecting donations. The NGO that was supposed to collect funds did not have an FCRA license.
The company that the ‘activist’, or rather her father who used her name and identity for his activities, used to allegedly purchase oxygen concentrators had no links to purchasing medical equipment. Moreover, the founders of the NGO were old associates of Licypriya’s father that raised more questions. After her father was arrested for duping hundreds of students, her fundraiser also came under the radar, and a probe was initiated against it.
Foreign funding and irregularities
From Khalistani sympathizers of Hemkunt Foundation and Khalsa Aid to funds raised by people for travel and studies abroad, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Notably, the government of India recently cancelled FCRA licenses of over 6,000 NGOs. Thousands of licences were cancelled over the past seven years, including that of Amnesty India, OXFAM and Jamia Milia Islamia.
The Indian Express has started off the new year with its anti-Hindutva propaganda in its latest report where it coined the term “anti-namaz brigade” and linked it to peaceful protests underway against the controversial arrest of Hindu seer Kalicharan Maharaj in Gurgram.
The report highlights that the protest march was led by Kulbhushan Bharwa, who is the legal adviser of the Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti that has been opposing namaz being held in public places. The Hindus of Gurgram have only been demonstrating against usurping of public places for namaz – viewed more as an assertion of political Islam, not piety.
Bharwa, a former president of the Gurgram bar association who had defended the teenager who had fired a gun at anti-CAA protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019 — backed Kalicharan Maharaj’s outburst against Gandhi and condemned the manner in which the Chhattisgarh police arrested him from Madhya Pradhesh, violating inter-state protocol.
“We vigorously support the remarks made by Sant Kalicharan against Gandhi and condemn how the Chhattisgarh government has arrested him,” said Bharwa. “When the country was partitioned on the basis of religion, why did Gandhi not oppose it? This country will never forgive Gandhi for his role in accepting the division of the country.”
Narender Singh Pahari, a former BJP leader who had lost the 2019 assembly elections as an independent candidate, alleged that Kalicharan Maharaj’s arrest was a case of selective targeting. “When someone talks of a Hindu nation and Hindu interests, immediately there is an FIR and arrest, while others go scot-free,” he said.
Kalicharan Maharaj
Parveen Yadav, who was reportedly part of a group that “disrupted namaz” in Gurugram echoed similar views. “The authorities have not taken any action against Owaisi, who has been threatening and inciting Hindus in his speeches,” he said.
The case in point was AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s open threat to the police. “Remember this. Yogi will not be the chief minister forever. Modi will not remain the prime minister forever,” he had said in a recent speech that went viral.
“We Muslims are silent because of the times but remember we will not forget the injustice. We will remember your injustice. Allah, by his powers, will destroy you, Inshallah. We will remember. Times will change. Then who will come to save you? When Yogi will go back to his mutt, when Modi will go to the mountains, then who will come to save you. Remember, we will not forget.”
Forget arrest, the speech was not even condemned by the pseudo-secularists who were quick to slam Kalicharan Maharaj, now in judicial custody till January 13 by the Raipur magistrate court.
During his speech at the recent Dharma Sansad in Uttarakhand, Kalicharan Maharaj had said, “India was cut into two parts in front of our eyes. Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan were already separated. Bangladesh and Pakistan got separated in front of our eyes by them. They used politics to separate these parts from India. That Har*mi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi destroyed India. I bow down to Nathuram Godse Ji, who assassinated the Har*mi.”
He also went on to lambast Gandhi for paving the way for the Nehru dynasty’s misrule in India.
While the law takes its own course over whether Kalicharan Maharaj should be punished or not, the case throws up the question of how much veneration does Gandhi deserve. And, how do we set the yardsticks for freedom of expression?
In 2015, the Supreme Court had wondered whether was it not the “collective responsibility of society to protect” historical figures such as Gandhi. Since there is no official declaration or title as “Father of the Nation”, technically he remains, yes, a historical figure who was part of the Indian freedom struggle. So, shouldn’t other historical figures such as, say, the much-abused Veer Savarkar, too, get such swift ‘protection’?
It is also pertinent to note that the media, especially Indian Express, have been on a tirade against Hindutva using every opportunity they get. While Hindus of Gurgaon were opposing the observance of Namaz in public places, causing severe nuisance, media is painting it as an “anti Namaz” protest, insinuating that Hindus who were protesting were against Namaz itself. However, that is untrue.
