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Taliban forcibly enter Gurudwara in Afghanistan, threaten worshippers, Sikh community urges India to raise SOS: What happened

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Taliban forcibly enter Gurudwara in Afghanistan, threaten worshippers, Sikh community urges India to raise SOS: What happened

Islamic radicals who belongs to a ‘special unit’ in Afghanistan on Friday forcibly entered Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita at Karte Parwan, Kabul, Afghanistan. Puneet Singh Chandhok, the President of Indian World Forum released a statement and informed about the Islamic radicals desecrating the Gurudwara.

Releasing a statement, Chandok said, “Today heavily armed officials claiming to be from Spl Unit of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan forcibly entered Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita at Karte Parwan, Kabul. They intimidated the community at gurdwara & abused sanctity of holy place”.

He further said that they tried to ward them off, but eventually, the guards of the Gurudwara were threatened with dire consequences. They also raided the entire premises, including the school. “They’re not only raiding the gurdwara but also the entire premises of community school attached next to it. The pvt security guards of the gurdwara initially prevented them from entering but they were also threatened with dire consequences & also manhandled”, Chandhok said.

Chandhok said that there are about 20 Sikhs who are still trapped in the Gurudwara and urged the Indian government to raise alarm over the situation.

“They’ve also simultaneously raided the erstwhile residence and office of MP Narinder Singh Khalsa located adjacent to the gurdwara. Around 20 members of the community are present inside the gurdwara. I urge Govt of India to immediately raise concerns of Hindu & Sikh communities living in Afghanistan with their counterparts at highest level. Incumbent regime in Afghanistan should ensure its compliance to UN Charter & well being of minorities living there”, Chandhok said.

Hindus and Sikhs fled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan 

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban terrorists walked into Kabul, facing no resistance from the Afghan armed forces and declaring themselves as Afghanistan’s rulers. Panic and fear had swept across the country after the fall of Kabul, following which a multitude of city residents flocked to the airport, in a desperate attempt to fly out of the country. 

With India anticipating a humanitarian crisis emerging in Afghanistan, it had already laid the groundwork for initiating a swift evacuation campaign. Indians were dogged by primarily two concerns. Firstly, it didn’t share a contiguous border with Afghanistan, which meant that the evacuation had to be carried out at a broader level with an all-embracing approach. Secondly, India had no security footprint in Afghanistan.

“Our overriding concern was the security of our officials on the ground. So we prioritised it in our plan to exfiltrate them from Afghanistan should the Taliban gets hold of the country,” TOI quoted a senior official as saying, who wished to remain anonymous because of being unauthorised to speak on the issue.

During a press briefing on the 27th of August, the Indian government informed that so far, they have evacuated 550 people from Afghanistan in 6 flights. Out of the 550 people, 260 were Indians. 

“We have evacuated over 550 people in 6 separate flights, either from Kabul or Dushanbe. Of these, over 260 were Indians. GoI also facilitated evacuation of Indian nationals through other agencies. We were in touch with various countries, like [the] US, Tajikistan,” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs (MEA), news agency ANI reported.

Further, the ministry said that the “vast majority” of Indians who wanted to return from Afghanistan have been evacuated out of the country. However, Bagchi said that he did not have the exact count of people who wanted to remain in the country. “Our overall assessment is that the vast majority of Indians who wish to return have been evacuated. Some more are likely to be in Afghanistan. I do not have the exact number for that,” he said.

India Today jumps to defend SKM after a man was murdered on their protest site, attribute their defence to ‘sources’

OpIndia Staff
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India Today jumps to defend SKM after a man was murdered on their protest site, attribute their defence to ‘sources’

As Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders are looking for media spots to clarify their stance and dissociate themselves from the alleged farmers responsible for the killing of a Dalit man at the farmers’ protest site, the India Today group now has come out in their defence. 

Putting it on the ‘sources’, India Today in its latest report claims that the SKM had allegedly complained about the presence of this ‘armed group’ on the protest site to the Haryana and Delhi police on multiple occasions.

“The SKM had also conveyed to the police that the Nihangs were not a part of the Morcha and had made appeals to the Nihangs as well to vacate protest sites and remove the Sikh Holy books from there,” said an SKM source.

Trying to monkey balance, SKM in a statement also said that the Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol. “We want to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased, have no relation with SKM,” it said distancing itself from the incident. 

‘Man admitted he was sent by someone’ claims SKM

Not wanting to upset the Nihang Sikh community, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Samyukt Kisan Morcha in his latest statement said, “When we reached the spot some people were saying that the deceased man, before dying, admitted he was sent by someone & given Rs 30,000.”

However, he simultaneously clarified that they have no video proof of his alleged confession. Ironic, considering the victim was recorded being interrogated by the Nihangs about his personal details when he was gasping for the last few breaths after he was thrashed brutally and had his hand chopped off. 

It is notable here that the brutal murder took place at the SKM protest site at Singhu border. The victim was hanged with his chopped limb near the main stage of the Kisan Morcha protest site.

National Commission for SC seeks report

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Vijay Sampla has sought a report over the killing of the Dalit man from the Director-General of Police, Haryana, within 24 hours. 

Sampla has also urged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take immediate and strict action against the perpetrators in this matter. 

Pakistan holds secret meetings with terror orgs planning execution of 200 Kashmiri Hindus, BJP and RSS workers in J&K: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan holds secret meetings with terror orgs planning execution of 200 Kashmiri Hindus, BJP and RSS workers in J&K: Report

Pakistan’s ISI held confidential meetings with members of several terrorist organisations on September 21 to plan large-scale attacks and execution of as many as 200 people, including Kashmiri Pandits in the valley, reports India Today.

The media house claims to have accessed the details of the meeting in which ISI and the terror organisation decided to conduct maximum target killings on the Indian side of Kashmir.

According to the report, the Indian Intelligence agencies had learnt about this secret meeting and issued an alert regarding the same.

The alert suggested that the ISI had prepared a ‘hit-list’ of 200 people who would be murdered to create tension in the valley. The list included several names of members associated with BJP and RSS. It also included names of many Kashmiri Pandits and also those Kashmiris working with the police, security forces, intelligence departments.

Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the terror outfits agreed to utilise terrorists who were not under the watchful eye of Indian security authorities for executing the mass-killing.

To “project it as a spontaneous and totally indigenous activity”, Kashmiris with no records of crime, but known to be sympathisers of militancy, would be used, the Indian alert said.

“For supporting these activities, pistols and grenade are being smuggled through LC from Uri & Tangdhar,” the alert added.

During the conference, a new terror group was allegedly formed that would assume responsibility for targeted killings and attacks in order to deceive the Indian authorities.

Spike in targeted killing of Kashmiri Pandits by ISI backed terrorists in Kashmir stirs panic

It is pertinent to note here that last week, according to rough estimates, in only a span of three days, more than 1400 Hindus left Kashmir to reach Jammu. The mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits was attributed to the recent surge in the incidents of targeted killing of Hindus in the valley.

On October 7, in an extremely brutal attack, two teachers, a Hindu and a Sikh, were shot dead at point-blank range at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Idgah, Sangam in Srinagar by Islamic terrorists in Kashmir. Pakistan based terror outfit ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF), which has claimed responsibility for the attack, has said that they killed the teachers because they had asked students to attend the 15th August function in the school.

As per reports, the teachers present were segregated on basis of their religions and presumably Muslim teachers were allowed to go. The Hindu and Sikh teacher were dragged outside and shot at point-blank range.

Prior to this, Islamist terrorists shot dead a 68 years old Kashmiri Pandit Makhan Lal Bindroo. Two other innocent civilians were also gunned down by terrorists in two different incidents in the city.  

Dharma, Hindu Temples, Ayurveda, population control, and social unity: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s speech on Vijayadashami

OpIndia Staff
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Dharma, Hindu Temples, Ayurveda, population control, and social unity: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s speech on Vijayadashami

On Friday (October 15), Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat performed ‘Shastra pooja’ on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. He also paid tribute to RSS founder KB Hedgewar & ex-Chief MS Golwalkar at the ‘samadhi Sthal’ in Nagpur in Maharashtra on the occasion of the RSS foundation day at Nagpur headquarters.

Vijayadashami 2021 is also the RSS’ 96th Foundation Day.

In his public address, Mohan Bhagwat emphasised on the need for social unity. He stated, “We don’t want a culture that widens the divide, but the one that binds the nation…Partition of the country is a sad history, the truth of this history should be faced, to bring back the lost integrity and unity, the new generation should know that history.”

RSS chief spoke about population control, and social reforms

On Friday, Mohan Bhagwat emphasised on the need to control the surging population of the country and preventing ‘population imbalance.’ He pointed out, “Population policy should be considered once again, the policy should be made for the next 50 years, and it should be implemented equally, population imbalance has become a problem.”

The RSS chief pointed out the ill effects of technology on children and drug abuse on the youth. He remarked, “There’s no control over what’s shown on OTT platforms. Post-Corona even children have phones. The use of narcotics is rising…how to stop it? Money from such businesses is used for anti-national activities…All of this should be controlled.”

Mohan Bhagwat spoke on Sanatan Dharma and its essence

The RSS chief defined the word ‘Hindu’ as the fabric that binds our heritage, evokes praise for our ancestors and instils a sense of devotion towards the motherland. “Absorbed in these three elements we can all wear the uniqueness of our underlying Sanatana oneness as our jewel and uplift our whole country. We must do this. This is the mission of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. #RSSVijayadashami”

“Due to all-round efforts, there is a renewed confidence and the awakening of our ‘selfhood’ in our society also. The contribution drive for Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple witnessed an overwhelming and devotional response which is a testimony to this awakening,” he stated. Mohan Bhagwat further added, “If the Dharma that envisions a world based on Sanatan value-system prevails in Bharat then the foul play of selfish forces will automatically be neutralised.”

The RSS Chief reiterated that the Hindu society must become united, strong, vigilant and active such that they neither threaten anyone’s existence nor fear others.

He clarified, “This appeal for consolidation of strength is not reactionary. This is a natural expected state in a society. Only a unified, strong and well-informed society with a national character can assert its voice before the world.”

He asserted, “Sanatan Hindu culture and its magnanimous Hindu society that has the ability to accept all, alone can be the saviour of the world from the catastrophic grip of radicalism, intolerance, terrorism, conflict, animosity and exploitation.”

Ayurveda and the Coronavirus pandemic

In his speech, Mohan Bhagwat emphasised how traditional knowledge systems and ‘selfhood’ had helped people amidst the pandemic. He said, “We experienced the efficacy of our traditional lifestyle practices and Ayurvedic medicinal system in fighting and tackling the Coronavirus. We are all able to appreciate the need for an effective and affordable treatment modality that may be accessible to each and every person living through the length and breadth of our vast country.”

Furthermore, the RSS chief outlined how the perspective on healthcare changed from preventive towards wellness.

He pointed out how traditional medicine systems are effectively addressing primary healthcare needs in rural areas. “Rising above the conflict for supremacy of one method of medicine over another, rational use of all treatment modalities can ensure affordable, accessible, and effective treatment for all,” Mohan Bhagwat reiterated.

State of Hindu temples are a matter of concern: RSS Chief

The RSS chief lamented, “State of the Hindu temples today is one such concern. Temples of South India are fully controlled by the state governments. In the rest of the country some are managed by the government, a few through joint family trusts while some are run by the trusts governed under society’s registration acts. Few temples completely lack any system of governance.”

Mohan Bhagwat pointed out that there is no uniform solution for the issue of Hindu temples in India. Citing examples, he stated that there are some temples that are under Govt control but are managed well, like the Vaishno Devi Temple. There are some independent temples that are managed by devotees but are in very bad condition.

Dr Bhagwat asserted that Hindus will have to come up with a detailed system for Temple management to provide a solution. The funds of Hindu temples should only be utilised for the causes of the Hindu community and the respective deities should be regarded as the sole owner, as stated by the Supreme Court, he added.

“The injustices such as the exclusive appropriation of Hindu religious sites for decades and centuries, handing over of the operations to the non-devotees/irreligious, unethical persons despite the State being ‘secular’ must be expunged, Dr Bhagwat added.

‘They are not farmers, they are butchers’: After murder of Lakhbir Singh at Kundli border, Kasar sarpanch remembers how Mukesh was burnt alive

OpIndia Staff
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‘They are not farmers, they are butchers’: After murder of Lakhbir Singh at Kundli border, Kasar sarpanch remembers how Mukesh was burnt alive

On Friday, October 15, a gruesome murder was reported from the Singhu-Kundli border protest site where farmers have been camping for more months now against the three farm laws. A badly mutilated corpse of a man, whose hands were chopped and legs cut, was suspended over a police barricade, reportedly by Nihang Sikhs for allegedly committing blasphemy. The victim has been identified as 35 year old Lakhbir Singh.

The grotesque incident instantly called to mind the horrifying fate of the 42-year-old Mukesh of Kasar village in Bahadurgarh, who was burnt alive in a farmers’ tent on the Tikri border on June 16, 2021. In the aftermath of the Kundli border incident, OpIndia spoke to the sarpanch of Kasar, Tony Kumar, to understand his views about the ongoing farmer protests. 

Kasar Village sarpanch says protesting demonstrators are not farmers, but butchers

“These (protesters) are not farmers. They are butchers. Farmers won’t kill people. Whereas these folks are cutting and slicing people who do not conform to their worldview,” said Kumar about the demonstrators who have been protesting against the Central government since last November. 

Speaking on the progress they made with respect to getting protesters removed from the border site after the unfortunate death of Mukesh, Tony despondently responded that their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. 

“We are tired of submitting applications, nothing has happened since then. It is not under the control of the administration. We used to help them (farmer protesters) earlier. Used to go to their meeting when called. But, after the incident with Mukesh, we stopped attending their gatherings or extending any kind of help to them,” Kumar said. 

About the financial help Mukesh’s family has received from the government, Kumar said so far Rs 7 lakhs has been compensated to the family, out of which Rs 5 lakhs were given by BJP’s local MLA Naresh Kaushik and Rs 2 lakh were disbursed by Hisar’s Rashtriya Brahmin Mahasabha. The sarpanch also claims that the process of providing a government job to Mukesh’s widow is still underway. 

However, Mukesh’s younger brother Manjeet disputed the claims of compensation received by the family. Speaking to OpIndia, Manjeet said the family is yet to receive any help from the government. When informed about the claims made by the sarpanch, Manjeet said, “He is like an elder brother to me. He might be trying on his level to get the family some compensation but we are not aware of it.”

He further added, “Our only demand from the government is that those who are guilty of killing my brother should be punished and my brother’s widow should get a job so that the future of the family is secured.”

Manjeet told OpIndia that their family has received financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh from the society. On the nuisance created by the alleged farmer protests, Manjeet says, “We have no personal quarrel with them. The people of the entire Bahadurgarh are suffering from their demonstrations. But what can we do? The government has the authority to solve this crisis.”

It is worth noting that when the OpIndia team reached Kasar after the news of Mukesh being burnt alive, the villagers had told us that they were being harassed by drunk farmers who were present at the protest site in the name of demonstrations. In a complaint filed with the administration, the villagers had said, “For the past 6-7 months, the alleged farmers have created a ruckus on the road adjoining village Kasar. They come to the village under the influence of alcohol and start harassing us, driving tractors at us, molest our women so on and so forth.”

The villagers had asked the administration to remove the farmers with immediate effect. “These people (farmer protesters) have burnt Mukesh alive. These people are not farmers. They are criminals. They are under the influence of liquor all the time. It’s been a year, these people are not going from here. There has been a ruckus over here,” they had said then. 

What happened to Mukesh? 

Mukesh, 42, was the eldest of Jagdish Chandra’s three children. On June 16, 2021, Mukesh succumbed to burn injuries after fellow farmer protestors allegedly set him ablaze at the Tikri border protest site. Villagers had then alleged that Mukesh’s murder was a conspiracy to make him appear as a ‘martyr’ against the farm laws.

OpIndia talked to the bereaved mother, who is still finding it hard to come to grips with the reality that her son was allegedly killed by agitators pretending to be fighting for the rights of farmers. Shakuntala, Mukesh’ mother remembers her son left the house on Wednesday evening for a walk to the nearby field. When we asked her who killed her beloved son, Shakuntala says the protesters killed him. Mukesh had that evening gone for a walk to the nearby field, where farmers protesting against the three farm laws had put up their tents.

Aryan Khan’s Whatsapp chats hint at his links with foreign drug peddlers, NCB approaches MEA to trace links: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Aryan Khan’s Whatsapp chats hint at his links with foreign drug peddlers, NCB approaches MEA to trace links: Details

Additional Solicitor General of India, Anil C. Singh has told the Special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court in Mumbai that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has sought the help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to probe the alleged international connection of Aryan Khan with foreign drug peddlers.

Anil Singh who is representing NCB referred to a sensitive Whatsapp chat of Aryan Khan with foreign nationals regarding bulk procurement of hard drugs. He opposed his bail petition and said that it was misconceived at this stage. While the investigation was still going on, NCB feared the accused may influence the probe if released on bail at this stage.

Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is among the 20 accused arrested on October 2 by NCB in the Cordelia cruise drug bust case. Anil Singh, who is representing NCB, said that from the WhatsApp of Aryan Khan, the NCB has found many incriminating pieces of evidence indicating his international links of drugs procurement.

“There is a Whatsapp chat of Aryan with a foreign national. There is a specific referring of bulk quantity of hard drugs. We have approached the MEA to find out ways to reach the foreign national,” Anil Singh told the court.

While the NCB has said that the hard drugs in bulk can’t be for personal consumption Anil Singh further said that there is an exchange of foreign transactions with refers to hard drugs. These sensitive chats have evidential values that NCB didn’t want to reveal in the open court. “But if see minutely, it will be known why the investigation is important and releasing these accused will influence the probe in the case,” Anil Singh said.

Amit Desai appearing on behalf of Aryan khan said that chats could be youthful banter, friendly gossip and joke. He said that Whatsapp chats are not admissible in evidence. He tried to dismiss NCB’s contention of WhatsApp chat by saying that youngsters of the modern days have a different way of communicate which can be understood only in the context of the chats. He said that youngsters communicate in English and not in Queen’s English.  

He argued that conversations on chats can often be misunderstood. “We need to see, is this youthful banter, friendly gossip joke? Is someone trying to tell him I got this, I did this, were they trying joke laugh about it?” he said.

Anil Singh told the court that a commercial quantity of drugs recovered from other accused hence under section 37 of NDPS, the fetter of bail will apply on them.

The court has reserved the order for October 20.

‘Please fulfil my last wish, bring me down for two minutes’, Kundli border victim Lakhbir Singh begs for help in his last audio

OpIndia Staff
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‘Please fulfil my last wish, bring me down for two minutes’, Kundli border victim Lakhbir Singh begs for help in his last audio

Zee News has shared an audio clip where Lakhbir Singh, the man who was found brutally murdered at the Kundli border farmers’ protest site just outside of New Delhi on Friday morning, is heard begging for a little help and kindness.

The media house has claimed that this was the Lakhbir Singh’s last audio before he was hacked to death by Nihang Sikhs on Thursday night for allegedly disrespecting the holy book Guru Granth Sahib. His right hand was chopped and tied near his body at the Kundli border farmer protest site.

In the audio clip, the deceased labourer is heard begging for his life. He is pleads to his assaulters to “put him down for 2 minutes”. Lakhbir Singh is heard urging: “Meri ichcha puri karo, doh minute ke liye mujhe neeche utar do” (please fulfil my wish, put me down for 2 minutes).

“Kya hain teri ichcha”? (what is your wish), asked the accused, to which Lakhbir Singh said in his trembling voice: “bol toh raha hoon mujhe neeche uttar do” (am I begging y’all to put me down)

As Lakhbir Singh keeps begging them to put him down, the Nihang Sikh’s are heard retaliating by saying: “You roam around with dirty people. You will learn a lesson only when smashed with a shoe. Tell us who those individuals were.”

The horror-stricken Lakhbir Singh continued to plead: “I will tell you, please bring me down. I will make you all speak to him, please get me down”.

“We will only pay heeds to your demands of you give us the correct name”, asserted the assaulters.

Lakhbir Singh is once again heard crying and begging them to spare his life. “I am telling you, I am giving you the name”, said Lakhbir Singh. However, the assaulters who appear in no mood to spare the victim added: “We will hang you like this until your last breath”.

This horrifying incident occurred at the Kundli border farmers’ protest site just outside of New Delhi on Friday morning. The incident caused a huge outrage in the area and the farmers blocked the police from reaching the site.

FIR mentions Nihang Sikhs chopped off a hand of Lakhbir Singh and hanged him from barricades

Notably, OpIndia has got access to the FIR filed in the case. The FIR says the body of the man hanging with hands, legs chopped at the spot where farmers’ protest is underway was found at 5 AM in the morning. The identity of the man at the time of the filing of the FIR was unknown.

The FIR says a police inspector reached the site with a team and found that the man’s body only had his undergarment on and his hands and legs were mutilated. He was hung to a police barricade. Locals had informed the police that Nihangs had chopped off a hand of the man, later identified as Lakhbir Singh and strung him to a nearby scaffolding.

The FIR also mentions that there was a huge crowd of Nihang community members gathered at the place. However, none of them assisted the police in their investigation and protested against the police for removing the body of the decedent from the scaffolding.

Section 302, which deals with murder, and Section 304, which deals with death by negligence has been filed against unknown people in the case. An investigation has been ordered to probe the matter.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha washes hands off brutal murder at their own protest site, claims Nihang Sikhs not linked to SKM

OpIndia Staff
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Samyukt Kisan Morcha washes hands off brutal murder at their own protest site, claims Nihang Sikhs not linked to SKM

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the collective farmer union that was formed by multiple farmer unions supporting farmer protests against the Agriculture laws, has washed its hands off the murder of Lakhbir Singh at the Singhu border. Singh was killed by Nihang Sikhs on October 15 over allegations of ‘disrespecting’ Guru Granth Sahib.

SKM claimed the group of Nihangs has no connection to the organization.

In its statement, SKM said a Nihang Group had taken responsibility for the incident. They alleged that Lakhbir was staying with the Nihangs for some time. SKM condemned the murder and said that though they were against disrespecting the religious text or symbol, any such act did not give right to anyone to take law in hand. They also promised to provide support to police and administration.

Statement issued by SKM whitewashing there hands from the cold-blooded murder at the farmer protest site

The statement reads, “It has come to the notice of Samyukt Kisan Morcha that a person hailing from from Punjab (Lakhbir Singh, son Darshan Singh, Village Cheema Kala, Police Station Sarai Amanat Khan, District Tarn Taran) was mutilated and murdered this morning at the Singhu Border. A Nihang group at the scene has claimed responsibility, saying that the incident took place because of the deceased’s attempt to commit sacrilege with regard to the Sarbaloh Granth. It is been reported that this deceased was staying with the same group of Nihangs for some time.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha condemns this gruesome killing and wants to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased person, have no relation with Samyukt Kisan Morcha. The Morcha is against sacrilege of any religious not or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law after investigating the allegation of murder and conspiracy behind sacrilege. As always, Samyukt Kisan Morcha will cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action.

This peaceful and democratic movement is opposed to violence in any form.“

Questionable past of SKM and crimes at protest sites

Though SKM had distanced itself from the cold-blooded murder that happened at the protest site, the past crimes at the protest sites and SKM’s attitude towards heinous crimes is questionable. In June, a woman from West Bengal was allegedly raped and murdered at the protest sites. The incident was tried to be whitewashed by Kisan leaders. An incident of rape was reported in April as well.

It is notable here that the brutal murder happened at the illegal tent site near Singhu border where SKM ‘protestors’ have been squatting for months. Media reports have pointed out that the body of the victim was hanged from the framework of the main stage where the SKM has been holding its protests.

Gruesome videos of the incident have emerged on social media where Nihang extremists are seen boasting how they have killed the man for alleged blasphemy. A Nihang leader named Baba Nrain Singh has taken responsibility for the murder. Reports have stated that the victim was first beaten, mutilated, dismembered and was then dragged by a rope to the main stage. There, the body was tied up and ‘displayed’ for the public, along with the chopped off hand.

Watch: Muslim mob breaks barricades when Delhi police deny Tazia procession to pass through BK Dutt colony due to Covid restrictions

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Muslim mob breaks barricades when Delhi police deny Tazia procession to pass through BK Dutt colony due to Covid restrictions

A video has gone viral on social media where thousands of frenzied Muslims are seen breaking barricades and clashing with the Delhi police at South Delhi’s BK colony’s entry points, over the route of a tazia procession. The incident reportedly took place on October 14, Thursday.

Visual of the incident shows the irate Muslim mob running wild, breaking barricades while flouting all norms and regulations.

The video of the incident was first shared on the microblogging site by Sunil Yadav, the vice-president of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He Tweeted: “A frenzied mob of Muslims has smashed all the gates of BK Dutt Colony, Kejriwal’s assembly constituency in New Delhi. On the day of Mahanavami, members of a particular community caused a great deal of commotion. Fear has imprisoned Hindu society’s citizens in their homes. There is a palpable fear in the air.”

Trouble erupted when Muslims gathered outside the Jor Bagh Karbala neighbourhood in South Delhi’s BK Colony for a ‘Masoom ka Tazia’ procession. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the police had sealed all of the area’s entry points, insisting that no procession should be allowed to pass through the area.

The irate Muslims, in turn, broke police barricades and demolished all the gates of the colony to make their way into the area.

Security personnel stationed at the scene were seen moving away in fear when the mob came rushing.

Delhi Police shares details of the incident which erupted over the route of a tazia procession, says case registered

After the video of the incident was widely shared on social media, DCP South Delhi acknowledged the occurrence of the incident. Police clarified that the situation was brought under control and a case was registered.

DCP South Delhi Tweeted in Hindi informing that every year the people of the Muslim community gather at Karbala in Jor Bagh on the occasion of ‘Masoom ka Tazia’. This year, due to Covid-19, police arrangements were also made to control the crowd. Due to this some gates on the way to Karbala were closed by the police.

Since the Muslims who gathered to take out the procession found all entry points leading to BK Colony sealed, they tried to enter the area by breaking the police barricades. The situation was brought under control and a relevant case was registered against the perpetrators, said DCP South Delhi.

As India battles Covid-19, it witnesses massive growth in trade in 9 months of 2021 compared to 2020: Here is everything you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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As India battles Covid-19, it witnesses massive growth in trade in 9 months of 2021 compared to 2020: Here is everything you need to know

While India has intensified its fight against the Wuhan Coronavirus with a large scale immunisation programme, the country has begun to witness a massive increase in trade. After an initial slump in economic growth, coupled with decreased manufacturing and trade due to Covid-19 lockdowns, India is showing signs of recovery on the economic front from the past 9 months.

As per government sources, India’s international trade has enhanced by 50% on a year-on-year basis between January-September 2021. “The current surge in trade can be attributed to the low base effect due to weaker trade in 2020 because of pandemic related disruptions. The surge in trade with China was 46% YoY (+$25.3bn) in this period.

Besides China, India’s trade with the United States has increased by 50% YoY (additional $28 billion) basis between January-September 2021. During the said period, trade with other nations increased in higher proportion on YoY basis – UAE (67% to $ 20billion), Indonesia (48.4% to $6.1 billion), Australia (85.4% to $6.4 billion), South Africa (91.4% to $5.9 billion), Belgium (79.2% to $6 billion) and Thailand (60% to $3.8 billion).

Moody’s upgrades outlook on India from negative to stable

Screengrab of Reuters report of October 5, 2021

Earlier on October 5 this year, rating agency Moody’s upgraded its ‘outlook on India’ from negative to stable. It emphasised, “The decision to change the outlook to stable reflects Moody’s view that the downside risks from negative feedback between the real economy and financial system are receding.” At the same time, India’s sovereign credit was rated at Baa3. According to Moody’s, the decision of the Indian government to keep the financial institutions liquid protected the financial sector from being at risk.

The Modi government had assured Indians of a rebounding economy, something which reflects even in the Moody’s ratings. The rating agency added that a better economic environment in India will help reduce the fiscal deficit in the upcoming years. The Indian government is currently eyeing to reduce the fiscal deficit to 6.8% in 2021 from 9.3% in 2020. Axis Banks’ Chief Economist Saugata Bhattacharya noted, “India’s sovereign rating outlook upgrade to stable reflects an improving financial system and near term growth prospects, which combines into solid potential growth prospects in the medium term.”

Interestingly, The Print wrote an article about the increased trade by India in the first 9 months of 2021 to insinuate that India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ program is failing. They also insinuated that while the Ladakh conflict is still on, India’s trade deficit with China and the ‘ballooning of trade deficit’ between India and China shows that India is reliant on products from China.

The Print article

Firstly, The Print article itself claims that the trade deficit (Imports exceeding exports) “ballooned” to $47 billion from $44 billion. That is not massive in terms of pure numbers. Besides, Print fails to take into account that the amount of trade that has increased is being pegged against 2020, where trade had slumped massively because of the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, to claim that the trade with China itself has “ballooned” is an unfair analysis to target the Modi government.

What is also to be borne in mind is that the trade between India and China is not the only equation to be focussed on. India’s trade with several other countries have increased far more than it has with China.

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