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Congress flag falls off as Sonia Gandhi tries to unfurl it on party’s foundation day, watch video

The Congress flag fell off the pole as party president Sonia Gandhi tried to unfurl it on the party’s foundation day today. Congress was founded on 28 December 1885.

In the video, one can see Sonia Gandhi struggling with the ropes tied to the flag in a bid to unfurl it. A man helping her with the ropes pulled them so hard that the flag itself fell down. The stunned crowd then kept looking at the flag which had now fallen down instead of being unfurled. Later they just held the flag for a few seconds while Sonia Gandhi took support of the pole from where the flag fell down. Then there were some ‘zindabad’ slogans haling Congress to fill in the awkward silence that followed.

Netizens amused at the faux pas

Naturally, netizens were amused at the Congress flag dropping down on the party’s foundation day.

While Congress supporters wanted the video deleted, many wondered how do they expect to handle the nation if the party cannot even handle the flag.

Many shared memes of Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Modi to show that they are amused at the hilarity that took place at Congress party headquarters today.

Many even shared Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi memes while mocking the fall of Congress and the family’s contribution to it.

Here are some of our favourites.

Some even depicted how the Congress workers and supporters might be feeling on seeing the flag fall down.

The above is a meme of a Muslim man from Kolkata who recently went to Kashi Vishwanath and offered namaz at the Gyanvapi mosque that stands next to the bhavya mandir. He had cried on seeing how the temple, which was once destroyed by barbaric Mughals, was now standing taller and grander than the mosque which was built on the original temple. You can read about it here.

‘He made meow sounds looking at Aaditya Thackeray’: Shiv Sena seeks suspension of Nitesh Rane

On December 27, the Maharashtra Assembly was adjourned for a short span after members of Shiv Sena sought suspension of BJP MLA Nitesh Rane over alleged inappropriate behaviour towards Shiv Sena leader and Maha Minister Aaditya Thackeray. It was alleged that Rane made ‘meow’ sounds while looking at Thackeray while sitting in the Vidhan Sabha Premises. Thackeray was entering the building at that time.

A video has since gone viral where ‘meow meow’ is chanted as Aaditya Thackeray walked up the stairs.

Suhas Kande, Shiv Sena MLA, raised the demand after the Question Hour. He said all the members in the Assembly agree that any indecent behaviour towards a member of Assembly should not be allowed. He added, “Aaditya Thackeray, being a dignified man, walked away ignoring Nitesh Rane. We will not tolerate the insult of our leader.”

Furthermore, he demanded an apology from Rane in the House, adding that he should be suspended otherwise. Sunil Prabhu, Shiv Sena MLA, supported Kande. On the other hand, another Shiv Sena member Bhaskar Jadhav sought permanent suspension of Rane from the House. The Chair had to suspend the House for 10 minutes as Shiv Sena leaders started raising slogans.

Notably, Prabhu also sought action against Rane for an attack on Santosh Parab, Shiv Sena leader, that took place on December 18. The Minister of State for Home Shambhraj Desai said that in case there was any direct or indirect involvement, strict action would be taken against the person.

Rane justified the actions

Nitesh Rane justified his behaviour and, while talking to the reporters, said that he would continue to do so. Rane is the son of Union Minister Narayan Rane. Leader of Opposition and the former CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis said Rane would be reprimanded for the comments he made. However, he questioned why the member of the House should be suspended for something that had happened outside the House.

He said, “We have clarified our position regarding Rane that the words uttered by him are wrong. No member of any party should do so. But, we sense the government’s game plan to suspend one more legislator. This is not right in a democracy. Suspending a member for an incident that had happened outside the House is not right.”

He further added that Bhaskar Jadhav, who sought permanent suspension of Rane, used to make noises when NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal would enter the House. BJP leader Chandrakant Patil also questioned the demands made by Sena leaders. He emphasized the fact that Rane did not take any names. He said, “Why the issue, about the incident which happened outside, was being discussed in the House?”

Sanjay Shirshat, the speaker in the Chair, has called for a meeting of all party leaders on Tuesday to ensure such incidents are not repeated. He said, “Once the issue is discussed in the House, it is not appropriate to speak to the media again. It is important to maintain the sanctity of the House.”

CDC shortens recommended quarantine, isolation time for COVID-19 infections

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America has shortened the recommended quarantine and isolation time for general population for coronavirus infections. In a statement released to the media, the CDC said that on basis of information available on COVID-19 and the omicron variant, the CDC has shortened the recommended time for isolation from 10 days to 5 days for asymptomatic patients. This will be followed by wearing masks around others for next five days.

This reduced quarantine and isolation time has been motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs in early days of infection, which is 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms to 2-3 days after initial symptoms. Hence, those who have tested positive for coronavirus should isolate for 5 days and asymptomatic patients may leave isolation if they wear masks for 5 days after the infection.

CDC has also updated recommended quarantine time for those who are exposed to COVID-19 and reduced the same to 5 days as well for those who are not vaccinated or have not yet had their booster dose of vaccines. Those who have received their booster doses need not quarantine but are recommended to wear a mask for 10 days after exposure.

Citing data from South Africa and United Kingdom, the CDC said that vaccine effectiveness against infection for two doses of an mRNA vaccine is about 35% while a booster dose takes the vaccine effectiveness to 75%. Vaccines further reduce risk of severity of disease, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 infection.

Bombay HC allows 12-year-old rape victim to abort, says continuance of pregnancy will violate her fundamental rights

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Bombay HC on Monday granted permission to a 12-year-old victim of rape and sexual assault the right to undergo medical termination of her pregnancy which was caused by the assault, in spite of the pregnancy going beyond the permissible limit of 20-week with the foetus showing minor abnormalities, according to reports.

In its decision to grant the permission, Justices SJ Kathawalla and Abhay Ahuja noted the mental anguish and trauma the minor girl would be subjected to if the pregnancy was forced to be carried to its completion.

Further, the vacation bench cited an earlier order from April 2019 which stated that forcing a pregnancy to continue which was dangerous for a woman’s mental health is a violation of the fundamental right to life.

The Bombay HC bench cited the 2019 order and stated “… in a situation where continuation of pregnancy poses grave injury to the physical and mental health of the mother, the pregnant mother could not be forced to continue with the pregnancy merely because it had extended beyond the ceiling of 20 weeks”. Quoting from the 2019 order, it added, “The same would be a serious affront to the fundamental rights of such a mother to privacy, to exercise reproductive choices, and even to her bodily integrity as also dignity,” 

The vacation bench led by Justice Kathawalla informed that the victim was at the state-run JJ hospital where the doctors examining her had confirmed that the victim was anguished with the pregnancy. Panel from the JJ hospital panel informed HC that continuation of the pregnancy would result in an adverse psychological effect for the victim.

While directing the JJ hospital authorities to give counselling and requisite medical support to the victim, HC said, ”It is further opined the continuation of such an unwanted pregnancy will have physical and mental stress to minor as well as have a psychological impact.”

China’s plans to undermine sovereignty of nation-States through its ‘debt trap’ policy is beginning to backfire: Report

The Communist regime in China has been infamous for pushing developing nations into its vicious debt trap by lending out money for investment projects and later using it to ensnare the sovereignty and strategic assets of the nation.

It has lent out $1.5 trillion to 150 countries, far more than that of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, China is now witnessing a slump in its lending spree, reported the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

The article, authored by geostrategist Brahma Chellaney, pointed out that China later used the debt to solicit political leverage and access to the nation’s natural assets.

One of the biggest infrastructure projects that China has been pushing down the throat of its debtor States is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The global infrastructure project is also known as One Road One Belt (OBOR) and has been dubbed as the ‘project of the century’ by Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.

“BRI loans continue until a borrower nation faces a debt crisis, which then arms China with considerable leverage to wrest political and economic concessions…The more desperate a borrower’s situation, the higher the interest rates China will seek to impose,” the report emphasised.

It added how China had financed a record $63.3 billion under BRI, in the second half of 2019, but had witnessed a slump in its lending capacity since then. By the first half of 2021, BRI financing had dropped by 32% to $19.3 billion.

China
Map of China’s Road and Belt Initiative via Asia Green Real Estate

CEPA reported that the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic has been the primary factor that led to the steep decline in China’s loan disbursement programme. “The pandemic’s socioeconomic disruptions and adverse impacts on GDP have crimped many developing nations’ capacity to undertake new infrastructure projects,” the report said.

CEPA further contended that the predatory lending practices of the Communist country have forced the debtor States to renegotiate loan contracts or oppose unfavourable terms and conditions. To add salt to the wound, many BRI projects are being scrapped and scaled-down by partner States. It had further compelled the Chinese Communist regime to ‘recalibrate lending’ practices and contain the ‘appetite for risk-taking.’

Coupled with a lack of transparency in construction and financing, growing cases of corruption and malpractice, lack of financial viability, the image of the Belt and Road Initiative has taken a massive hit. BRI also faces a growing challenge from the Quad, a strategic security dialogue between USA, Australia, India, and Japan.

CEPA reported, “And yet the BRI’s glory days are unlikely ever to return, even if the pandemic comes under control. The dangers of China’s creditor imperialism can no longer be ignored by borrowing countries — unless their debt entrapment is beyond redemption…”

It concluded, “Even where governments remain China-friendly, many citizens are beginning to view the BRI as potentially representing the advent of a new colonial era — the 21st equivalent of the East India Company that paved the way for British imperialism in the East, initially through trade.”

BRI participant countries owe over 385 billion USD to China in hidden debt

Earlier in September this year, AidData reported that China’s Belt and Road Initiative had left a large number of countries burdened with “hidden debts” to the tune of $385 billion. AidData, an international development research lab based at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, further said that scores of countries underreported their financial liabilities linked to China for many years, resulting in mounting “hidden debts”, or confidential liabilities that the countries might be obligated to pay.

The research lab had parsed through more than 13,000 aid and debt-financed projects worth more than $843bn across 165 countries for a period of 18 years, ending 2017. It concluded that Beijing had been stealthily deploying its “debt-trap diplomacy” and using its financial supremacy to tie smaller countries in the allure of lucrative loans and then using the leverage to bend them to its will.

The analysis conducted by AidData researchers had hinted that Chinese lendings were considerably larger than previously estimated by credit rating agencies and intergovernmental organisations with surveillance capabilities. China, they conclude, had been able to pull the wool over intelligence agencies from finding out the substantial leverage it held on small countries by extending seemingly large credit lines to them.

Brad Parks, the executive director of the AidData team, was astonished to discover that the hidden debt amount granted by China is close to $385bn, as reported by Financial Times.

IPS officer Rashmi Shukla approaches SC after Bombay HC rejects her plea of quashing petition in phone tapping case

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Rashmi Shukla, the state’s former intelligence chief, has filed a special leave petition with the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay high court’s recent rejection of quashing her petition in the phone tapping case.

Shukla claimed in her petition to the Supreme Court that the current case was an attempt by the Maha Aghadi government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra to “derail and thwart the investigation” in the FIR pending before the CBI, in which “certain unscrupulous elements of state have indulged in high-ended corruption in relation to transfer of police officers”.

The IPS officer’s special leave petition (SLP) stated that the state filed a case under the IT Act and invoked the Official Secrets Act, 1923, “with an ulterior motive to ensure that the petitioner (Shukla) does not cooperate with the (CBI )and abandoned her own report”.

The SPL added: “Such was the tearing hurry to remove the petitioner and make her irrelevant within the state of Maharashtra, that she was transferred to the post which did not even exist at that point of time. When she raised the issue with the then home minister of the state of Maharashtra, Anil Deshmukh, it was clearly stated to her by … Deshmukh that it is a case of political vendetta.”

According to the SLP seeking permission to appeal the HC dismissal, “despite punishment posting and the arbitrary treatment meted out to her, she made several requests for cabinet approval and issuance of GP for creation of the post of DG – civil defence”. Singh then wrote to the CM, SLP added, “flagging the issue of corruption.”

Bombay HC rejects petition filed by IPS Rashmi Shukla

The IPS officer had approached the apex court after a division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sarang Kotwal of the Bombay High Court recently rejected a petition filed by Shukla seeking to quash the FIR registered by the Mumbai police and to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is already probing allegations against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh.

The Bombay HC bench had given the order on December 15 on the petition filed by Shukla.

In October this year, the Maharashtra government submitted before the HC that while Shukla was not listed as an accused in the case, there is enough evidence against her to proceed with the probe.

Shukla claimed in her plea that she was being used as a scapegoat and that the Maharashtra government was targeting her for presenting a report on alleged corruption in police transfers and postings.

Shukla’s counsel Mahesh Jethmalani had informed the court that when she was heading the state intelligence department, she was directed by the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) to conduct surveillance of a few phone numbers. She had said that with the permission of “competent authority”, telephones of certain politicians and police officers were kept under surveillance and in Aug 2020, she submitted a detailed report to the then director-general of police S Jaiswal (now CBI chief) and sought action

However, in March, Sitaram Kunte, the Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra Government submitted a report, recommending strict action against senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla for tapping the phones of politicians illegally.

Rashmi Shukla, Commissioner of Intelligence Department, her letter and her suspicious of nexus between politicians and the police in transfer scam

In August 2020, Rashmi Shukla, Commissioner at the State Intelligence Department, had written a letter to Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Director General of Police, informing him of the alleged transfer racket.

Rashmi Shukla emphasises that the matter should be brought before the attention of CM Uddhav Thackeray as it would severely undermine the credibility of the ruling dispensation. A day later, DHP Jaiswal acknowledges the receipt of the letter. He too recommended that the matter be brought before Uddhav Thackeray and a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations.

Devendra Fadnavis makes explosive revelation, claims Uddhav Thackeray overlooked police transfer posting racket in state

During a press conference on March 23, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chose not to act on a report exposing a racket related to the transfer of police officials which was bought to his notice. He further said that CM Thackeray decided to keep mum just to save his government.

Gharwapsi in Karnataka: Nine members of a Christian family revert to Hinduism in Jannapur’s Rama Bhajan Mandir

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On Sunday, nine members of a Christian household re-converted to Hinduism. At an event at the Rama Bhajan Mandir in Jannapur, VHP and Bajrang Dal members took the initiative to convert them to Hinduism as part of ‘Gharwapsi.’ The development comes days after the Karnataka Government passed the Anti-Conversion Bill in the Legislative Assembly that provided for jail terms for those engaging in mass religious conversion.

Jayasheelan, his wife Jayamma, their sons Prabhakaran and Prakash, and their daughters-in-law Lalita Prabhakaran and Shwetha Prakash, all of Antaragange, are amongst those who have re-converted. Elumalai, Jayasheelan’s father, turned to Christianity 35 years ago but the family had continued to practice the Hindu religion.

Rajavan Vadivelu, a Bajrang Dal leader from Shivamogga and one of the organisers, said that more families are wanting to return to the folds of Hinduism.”These families were converted to Christianity many years back, and they wanted to return to Hinduism. But they had some kind of fear about the society accepting them and what the Christian community might think of them. So, we were in touch with them for the past six months and talked to them following which they were re-converted to Hinduism on Sunday. There are around 100 people who wish to reconvert, we are in touch with them and they will also return to Hinduism very soon. We will organise a grand event for their conversion,” said the BD leader.

On November 28, 23 persons from five Christian families in Karwar’s Haliyal taluk converted to Hinduism. Anant Kumar Hegde, MP for Uttara Kannada, presided over the occasion.

Reconverting Hindus the only option left for Hindus, says BJP leader Tejasvi Saurya in an event in Karnataka

Speaking at an event in Karnataka’s Udupi on December 25, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya had said that, “The only option left for the Hindus is to re-convert all people who have gone out of Hindu fold. This does not come to us naturally but today we must evolve. This metamorphosis must come in our DNA.”

The BJP leaders remark snowballed into a major controversy following which he retracted it. “At a program held in Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt two days ago, I spoke on the subject of ‘Hindu Revival in Bharat’. Certain statements from my speech has regrettably created an avoidable controversy. I therefore unconditionally withdraw the statements”, Tejasvi Surya Tweeted.

In October this year, Karnataka’s BJP MLA Gulihatty D Shekhar had initiated the campaign to bring those who were converted into Christianity back into the Hindu fold. Talking about the systematic process these missionaries follow to forcefully bring people into the folds of Christianity, the MLA had revealed that his own mother was influenced and converted to Christianity by the missionaries. Gulihatti Shekhar had stated that she has been told by the missionaries not to apply Kumkum or Tilak on her forehead. So much is the extent of brainwashing and influence that his mother now does not want to even look at the idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, the MLA had said then.

Missionaries of Charities itself says bank accounts not frozen by Centre after Mamata Banerjee raises a storm: Details

After West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the central government froze all bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stated that it did not freeze any accounts of Missionaries of Charity. MHA further revealed that it was the Missionaries of Charity people who sent a request to SBI, wanting the bank to freeze its accounts.

Additionally, MHA informed that Missionaries of Charity (MoC) was denied the permission to renew its FCRA registration under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and the renewal application of MoC was rejected on the grounds of not meeting eligibility conditions under FCRA 2010 & Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules (FCRR), 2011.

After MHA, Missionaries of Charity issues clarification, says its FCRA registration has not been cancelled, suspended

The clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs came in the wake of allegations levelled by Mamata Banerjee that the Centre had frozen the bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity(MoC) in India. In addition to the MHA, even Missionaries of Charity have issued a statement over the matter. The group said its FCRA registration is neither cancelled nor suspended. Further, there is no freeze ordered by the MHA on any of the bank accounts, MoC said.

“We have been informed that our FCRA renewal application has not been approved. Therefore, as a measure to ensure there is no lapse, we have asked our centres not to operate any of the FC accounts until the matter is resolved,” MoC said in a statement.

Mamata Banerjee’s allegations

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday tweeted that the central government had frozen all bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in India. “Shocked to hear that on Christmas, Union Ministry FROZE ALL BANK ACCOUNTS of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in India! Their 22,000 patients & employees have been left without food & medicines. While the law is paramount, humanitarian efforts must not be compromised,” Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

Similar claims were also made by CPI(M) state secretary and opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra who claimed that along with bank accounts, the government had also frozen cash in hands of the Missionaries of Charity.

Jharkhand: Dalit family forced to consume beef, ostracised by Christian villagers for refusing to embrace Christianity

The Gumla district in Jharkhand, one of the worse affected by left-wing extremism, has seen rampant religious conversion by Christian missionaries over the years, especially during the lockdown last year. The powerful Christian missionaries operating in the town threaten the poor and vulnerable locals, especially those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, with dire consequences if they do not pay heed to their demands. Many eventually, buckle under the pressure and convert to Christianity.

News 18 has reported about a group of families dwelling in the Gadtoli block, situated at a distance of 35 km from the Gumla district in Jharkhand, out of which a little less than half have been compelled to give up their Hindu Sarna faith to adopt Christianity due to the terror of the conversion gangs working in the area at the behest of Christian missionaries.

Out of the 55 families dwelling there, almost 30 families have converted to Christianity, reports News 18, which added that the conversion racket in this hamlet has been prevalent for the last 15 years.

The report further stated that now, there are these two families which are particularly being tortured to bow down to the demands of these Christian conversion gangs. One family belonging to that of a person named Salik Gop is said to have been ostracized by the Christian villagers for the last 6 months for not concurring with the demands of religious conversion. Salik Gop’s family has regularly been receiving death threats compelling them to think a hundred times even before leaving the house.

Salik Gop’s son Budheshwar, who is a paraprofessional teacher, has not been able to go for his work for the last 6 months.

Jharkhand Hindu family being forced to consume beef, barred from using the village well for declining conversion demands

Speaking to the media outlet, Salik Gop’s family claimed that, despite being a cowherd family, they are constantly pressured to eat beef. Leave alone farming, their family has been even barred from using the water from the village well. Their children have been forbidden to go to school, said Salik Gop.

The family’s entire source of income has been disrupted so that they acceded to the conversion demands of the influential Christian missionaries participating in proselytization in the area, but, Salik Gop said that no matter what happens, he will not submit to their demands.

It is appalling how these organisations have been openly running a parallel government in Jharkhand’s Gumla town for many years now. The majority of the events take place in the presence of the police administration, who do little to stop them.

Dalit woman files complaint against Christian villagers alleging torture

It may be recalled how in the month of September, OpIndia reported about a woman health worker of Jamdih village of Gumla district of Jharkhand approached the police with a complaint against the Christian villagers, accusing them of torturing her family members to accept Christianity. The complainant, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste, had also alleged that the assailants even sexually abused her daughter to mount pressure on the family to adopt Christianity. She had also said that accused persons instigated the villagers against her family.

Pune: Commissioner of Police Krishna Prakash sustains injuries while trying to catch a criminal gang

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On the night of December 26, Krishna Prakash, Commissioner of Police, Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, Maharashtra, sustained injuries while catching a three-member gang wanted in a shootout killing case. As per reports, the gang members opened fire at the police team led by the CoP.

The incident took place at around 11:30 PM on Sunday. The police team led by CoP had laid down a trap to catch the gang members based on a reliable tip-off. The Police came to know that the gang members were seen in the forest area 35 KM away from Chakan. DCP Manchak Ipper, in conversation with news agency IANS, said, “We had received a specific intel tip-off of the accused hiding in the vicinity and the police team led by CoP, an ACP, and others lay in wait for them. Suddenly, they started firing in the direction of the police party, which shot back in self-defence. There are no injuries in the firing.”

No bullet injuries, said DCP

Ipper further added that there were reports in local media that CoP and another policeman sustained bullet injuries which were not true. They both sustained injuries while chasing the criminals in the jungle. Both sides fired several rounds for over 30 minutes, after which the Police managed to apprehend the criminals.

The accused were wanted in the shootout killing of another local gangster, 37-year-old Yogesh R Jagtap. The shootout took place at Katepuram Chowk in the Pimple-Gurav area on December 18. Jagtap was a habitual criminal. He was shot four times by two assailants. So far, ten people have been arrested in the case. Further investigation is underway.