Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his interview at the India Today Conclave 2021 criticized the so called ‘analysts’ for using the video of Priyanka Gandhi sweeping floors as a tool to further the Congress party’s political ambition.
The CM, after he was shown the video clip of Priyanka Gandhi sweeping floors at the event, said “.. I feel embarrassed when you asked me that a lady is sweeping floor and you give your comment. I have seen my mother sweep the floor always, so what is so special on this? I do not know why you make all these things. Then come to my house. I also do so many things and give me also publicity..” The anchor had earlier asked Sarma about his opinions on Priyanka Gandhi’s video.
When the anchor pointed out that many analysts are saying that the image of Priyanka Gandhi ‘sweeping floors’ is a game changer, Sarma said, “These analysts has mortgaged my country to a family for last so many years. These analysts are primarily responsible for mortgaging India to that one single family. Now India has changed.”
Speaking on the act of Priyanka Gandhi ‘sweeping floors’ CM said, “People like you will be impressed by these but general people of India will say, ‘what is this big thing? I do that every time’.”
CM Sarma also poked fun at the viral Priyanka Gandhi video and said, “..When she goes to a new planet like Kalpana Chawla then you tell me, look this Priyanka Gandhi is doing something great..” He also questioned how can a lady sweeping a floor become a news and also added, “..Sweeping is also not right. The way she is sweeping… It shows that she is doing it for the camera.”
Few days back, a video of Priyanka Gandhi sweeping floors of Sitapur Guest House in Uttar Pradesh appeared on social media and on Friday, she was seen sweeping the ground at a Dalit locality in Lucknow, surrounded by cameras. The Congress party and its sympathizers had declared it a turning point ahead of assembly elections in the state.
UP Congress Spokesperson Anshu Awasthi compared Priyanka Gandhi to the Hindu Goddess Durga saying, “The BJP government is hell scared of the ‘Durga-Avatar’ of Priyanka Ji. Our leader has started the process of sweeping sway the BJP from the state. The UP CM is so rattled by the fact that due to his inability crime is at its peak today in the state, unemployment has grown many fold times.”
Ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in various states that will undoubtedly set the tone for the all-important general elections in 2024, the BJP on Thursday rejigged its National Executive. Varun Gandhi, Subramanian Swamy, Maneka Gandhi were among the key leaders who were dropped from the council.
Among those who were removed from the party’s National Executive, Swamy’s ouster holds particular significance, given that the Rajya Sabha leader who was once a resolute supporter of the party had turned into a staunch critic, continuously on the prowl to attack the party and the Centre on everything under the sun.
Swamy turns his ire against the Modi government after his vaulting ambition of becoming a cabinet minister remaines unfulfilled
For months now, Swamy has been increasingly critical of the BJP government at the centre. It was widely rumoured that Swamy was coveting the post of Finance Minister ever since the BJP formed its government at the Centre in 2014. However, he was persistently denied the post, following which he started voicing his criticism against the economic and sundry other policies implemented by the central government.
Whenever there were rumours about a possible cabinet reshuffle, Swamy had his Twitter and other social media timelines replete with tweets and retweets that seemed to ridicule the central government for their choice of ministers who were most likely to get a post in the cabinet. In June 2021, as speculations of cabinet rejig started doing the rounds, Swamy was once again at the task of pressurising the party into anointing him as a Cabinet minister.
Swamy took to Facebook to say that he has been a Cabinet Minister twice in his life and both times, he did not ask to be made one. He then went on to say that Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, should display “gratitude” for all that Swamy has done for him between 2005 and 2014 and make him a Minister. He just casually reiterated that this should be done without him asking the PM for it, while publicly whining about it.
Source: Facebook
Earlier in February, Sway took a swipe at the Centre on the issue of rising fuel prices. Invoking the Ramayana, he said that petrol cost Rs. 92 in “Ram’s India”, Rs 53 in “Sita’s Nepal” and Rs 51 in “Ravan’s Lanka”. OpIndia had then written in detail how the disgruntled leader’s Tweet, which could only be described as a ‘WhatsApp forward’, was a far cry from reality.
As Hindutva politics regained momentum after the arrival of PM Modi on the national stage, Subramanian Swamy pivoted to rebrand himself as a Virat Hindu fighting for the interests of Hindus. When he realised that despite aligning with Hindutva he could not get an entry into the Modi government’s cabinet, he started pulling off antics to blackmail the centre and in the process degraded to become an eternal whiner, routinely cavilling over policy decisions taken by the centre and over their implementation.
It is no secret that Subramanian Swamy is thoroughly rattled by his exclusion from the government, as he was hoping to be a minister in the Modi government. In his frustration of not being appointed in the cabinet, Swamy is often seen on social media spreading misinformation and floating preposterous conspiracy theories. He had claimed that the siege of the Red Fort on Republic Day was a PMO plot. He also launched an anti-vaccine tirade in response to the Modi government’s Covid-19 vaccine drive.
It is worth noting that Swamy has always been fickle about his political ideology. He has, time and again, placed emphasis on his personal gains than loyalty to his organisation. For Swamy, bartering his political ideology is an acceptable course of action if that helps him in accomplishing his short-term political ambitions. Because of these characteristics, he is often described on social media platforms as a political chameleon, someone who engages in a type of social shape-shifting in order to blend in with those he thinks could help him in attaining his objectives.
This is why he inspires distrust and his stances keep oscillating. From an anti-corruption crusader to a Virat Hindu to a Whistleblower and whatnot, Swamy keeps adroitly remoulding his image that suits his hitherto political ideology. When he realises he is unable to achieve what he is desirous of, he grows disillusioned with his party and colleagues and turns his back on them to ally with the opposition. This is one of the reasons why no party has truly been able to trust Swamy to give him a position of power.
Swamy’s close ties with godman-cum-power broker Chandraswami linked to Saudi Arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi
In order to hedge his bets, Swamy hobnobbed with leaders across the political spectrum. Not just this, he is also known for fraternising with controversial characters such as godman-cum-power broker Chandraswami. An astrologer and Tantrik by profession, Chandraswami was regarded as close to prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and was probed for his alleged role in plotting and financing the killing of Rajiv Gandhi. The self-proclaimed godman faced a bevvy of criminal cases—ranging from FERA violations, to blackmail and cheating, to shady arms deals.
But for Swamy, Chandraswami was a “close friend”. Swamy, in an interview with the Hindu after Chandraswami’s demise in 2017, had hailed the controversial godman as a “database of politics” and a man who had “great intuition about people’s character”. Swamy had then said it was Chandraswami who had apprised him of who’s who in politics and was useful in his political life.
Furthermore, it was Subramanian Swamy as India’s Law Minister in 1990-91 who transferred NK Singh, CBI officer in charge of St Kitts forgery case. Chandraswami was prime accused of conspiring to harm PM VP Singh’s image by forging documents to show that he was the beneficiary of a USD 21 million secret bank account in the Caribbean island.
The whole controversy erupted in August 1989 with the Kuwait-based ‘Arab Times’ carrying a report about the alleged bank account in the name of Ajeya Singh. Rajiv Gandhi was replaced by VP Singh as the Prime Minister and CBI registered a case in May 1990. The CBI probe found that the allegations of the “non-existent” bank account were floated by some “interested persons” to tarnish the image of VP Singh.
Saudi Arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who was close to godman Chandraswami and was also linked to Rajiv Gandhi and Chandra Shekhar, was said to have some role in the case. Years later, as conclusive evidence could not be furnished in the court of law, Chandraswami was cleared from the case because there was no “direct evidence” to convict him.
“Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was my friend. He never asked for a separate Khalistan”: Subramanian Swamy
Subramanian Swamy was also in thick with Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Downplaying Bhindranwale’s role in Punjab insurgency, Swamy had said that he never demanded a separate “Khalistan” and it was “a conspiracy of external forces to disintegrate the nation.”
Offering an apologia for Bhindranwale, who led the Sikh terrorists hiding in the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar, Swamy had said, “Show me a recording of any speech in which he raised such a demand of creating a separate Khalistan seceded from India. As per my conversation with him, he did not demand Khalistan, but said he won’t reject it (Khalistan) if anybody gifts it to them.”
After filing numerous cases and dragging the Gandhis to the court, one would have assumed that Swamy is resolute on an anti-corruption stance. But that’s not the case, says social media user Alok Bhatt. He notes that Swamy’s crusades on corruption have been going on, for decades for they are not an end but means to an end. That is why, Bhatt says, his targets keep changing and crusades never reach their logical end.
SuSu’s “so called” crusades on corruption have been going on for decades now- they are not an end but means to an end and that is why only his targets change- crusades never reach the end – read this INDIAToday piece form late 80s https://t.co/kZgHMxpjPr
An instructive article published in the 1980s threw light on how Swamy had mastered the art of using exposes to intimidate his political opponents but the article also mentioned how the attempts had often boomeranged and failed to yield any desired results.
Swamy had wanted RSS banned under TADA for felling the controversial Babri structure in Ayodhya, had asked the Rao govt to rebuild the place
Political expediency has been one of the strong suits of Subramanian Swamy. His support to a particular issue is contingent upon those who are in power and his relationship with them. Today, almost three decades after the controversial Babri structure was levelled in Ayodhya, Swamy cuts himself a figure of being a Virat Hindu who is uncompromising on his stance as far as the interests of Hindus are concerned. But back in 1992, Swamy had wanted the RSS and VHP to be banned under the Terrorists and Disruptive (Prevention) Act for their second “treachery” against the nation.
Source: Twitter
The first “treachery”, Swamy had said, was Nathuram Godse, who had assassinated Mohandas Gandhi. Swamy said the RSS and its front organisation have proved themselves to be “incorrigibly anti-national with no regard for national unity and harmony.”
Not only did Swamy wanted the Narsimha Rao government to ban the RSS and VHP under TADA, but he also wanted the government to declare that Babri controversial structure would be rebuilt and handed over to the Muslims, adding that the government should fob Hindus off with a nearby place where they could have their Ram Temple.
Swamy’s fickle relationship with the Gandhis
Swamy’s love-hate relationship with the Gandhis has been spotty. He was forced to go underground after Indira Gandhi’s imposed an Emergency in the country. Yet a few years later, when Mrs Gandhi asked him to speak to the Chinese on behalf of the government, he was more than willing, Samanth Subramanian mentioned in his 2012 profile of Swamy. This inconsistency characterised his relationship with other Gandhis as well.
Swamy had admitted that he was close to Rajiv Gandhi after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984. He would often meet Rajiv Gandhi at 2 or 3 am in the morning and talk about everything. According to Swamy, Rajiv Gandhi would have made a “very, very good second-term prime minister” as he had matured a “great deal” as compared to his first term in the office.
In 1989, Swamy claimed that he was a free agent cobbling up opposition to replace Rajiv Gandhi’s government. But his actions betrayed that he was sabotaging the opposition unity and helping Rajiv Gandhi for his second term. Janata Dal leader VP Singh, whom Swamy praised as a “good man” in his interview in 1988, was ultimately elected the Prime Minister of India, with outside support from the Congress party.
But just a year later, in 1989, Swamy betrayed Singh, reviling him as an untruthful, conspiratorial, mafia collaborator. Swamy even flashed copies of a letter signed by the American detective Michael Hershman to allege that V.P. Singh had hired Hershman, two years ago, to investigate foreign bank accounts of opposition leaders. Swamy was then left red-faced when he travelled to the US and met Hershman who expressly denied sending the letter. Even worse, Hershman said VP Singh’s name had been in the original list of leaders under probe, but in Swamy’s list, that name was blacked out. To Swamy’s chagrin, it instantly proved that his list was trumped up, for VP Singh would not have ordered a probe against himself.
Besides Rajiv Gandhi, Swamy also shared a cordial relationship with his wife Sonia Gandhi, until of course, acrimony vitiated the relation. In 1999, he hosted a special tea party for J. Jayalalithaa with Sonia Gandhi as a special invitee at Delhi’s Ashok Hotel, which inevitably resulted in the former pulling out of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government after 13 months. Swamy had even claimed of Sonia promising to back a non-Congress, non-BJP led government with him as prime minister. Not only was Swamy credited for the fall of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government, but he also took it upon himself the smear the image of Vajpayee and his colleagues as well.
Rajiv Gandhi and Subramanian Swamy(Source: DailyO)
However, like his other capricious relations in the past, Swamy turned against Sonia Gandhi. He floated a theory in 2001 that Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s marriage was a bond forged by Russia’s spy agency KGB.
In March 2001, Swamy called Minister of State for Personnel Vasundhara Raje to initiate a CBI probe into the allegations that Sonia was treating Tamil Tigers, the PMK and the “pro-LTTE and secessionist Dravida Kazhagam”, with kid gloves. The LTTE cadre also acted as “runners”, Swamy told India Today, to facilitate smuggling operations.
He also brought attention to a CBI inquiry from 1993 into a consignment originating from Chennai port that breached the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972. The CBI recorded that the artefacts were meant for one “Guide Zanderige” of Verona, Italy. Swamy alleged that this man was employed by the Mainos, the maternal family of Sonia Gandhi, and was procuring goods for “Etnica in Rivolta or Ganpati in Orbassano”, shops “owned by her (Sonia’s) family”.
Sonia Gandhi and Subramanian Swamy(Image Credits: The Hindu)
Swamy’s anathema for the Gandhi family, particularly with Sonia Gandhi, only grew with time. He started referring to Sonia Gandhi as Sonia Maino and “TDK”, an abbreviation for Tadaka, the demoness in the Ramayana, in his tweets and during public appearances. He pursued the corruption charges against the Gandhis in the National Herald Case. He also accused Sonia and her family members of giving out a contract to eliminate Rajiv Gandhi.
Is it not surprising that TDK and son as well as PC and son accused of swallowing thousands of crores rupees in assets are out on bail but Lalu Yadav not accused of even one ₹ but of enabling officials to steal is constantly refused bail? Are my facts wrong?
Ram Jethmalani describes Subramanian Swamy in his blog “The Diseased Insect”
In 1998, about 23 years ago, eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani saw through what Subramanian Swamy truly was and summarised his critical opinions about him in his personal blog. In his blog titled “The Diseased Insect”, Jethmalani accused him of perennially fostering the frustration of not becoming the Prime Minister of India.
“This country has suffered many a misfortune but none greater than the vice and persistence in our public life of a despicable character called Subramanian Swamy. His has been a life of character assassination, malicious mendacity and sordid blackmail of anyone who happens to cross his path. Nobody has been able to deflect him from his criminal course of conduct because few have the inclination to take on this vicious viper and expose him for what he really is,” Jethmalani wrote.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has summoned the driver of Shah Rukh Khan for questioning in connection with the Mumbai cruise ship drug bust, in which Aryan Khan was arrested. According to reports, the driver has reached the NCB office in Mumbai for questioning related to the matter.
According to Republic TV, the NCB panchnama related to the case says, “IO Ashish Ranjan Prasad asked them that whether they accepted and then Arbaaz A Merchant said that he is having Charas hidden inside his shoes. The Charas in zip lock pouch was taken out from shoes voluntarily by Arbaaz A Merchant and was handed over to IO Ashish Ranjan Prasad. The zip lock pouch was having a black sticky substance. It was tested with DD Kit which was confirmed as Charas. Arbaaz A Merchant admits that he consume charas with Aryan Khan Shahrukh and they are going inside Cordelia cruise for a blast. On asking, Aryan Shahrukh Khan admit he also consumes charas and the charas was meant for a smoke during the cruise journey…”
Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan arrested in the matter, is currently lodged at the Arthur Road jail. The lawyer for Arbaaz Merchant has said that he will file a fresh bail application before the Session Court. No such confirmation has been made by the counsel for Aryan Khan, Satish Maneshinde. The Mumbai court had on Friday sent Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, to judicial custody for 14 days.
Earlier, the NCB raided the office and residence of film producer Imtiaz Khatri in Bandra, Mumbai in connection with the Mumbai cruise ship drug bust. Khatri came under the scanner after his name cropped up during the interrogation of one Achit Kumar, who was arrested earlier this week after a small quantity of “hydroponic weed alias multi-strain cannabis” was seized from his possession.
The recent surge in the incidents of targeted killing of Hindus in the valley has led to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits residing in transit camps. Hundreds of families, including many government employees, who returned to the valley after being given jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment scheme for Kashmiri migrants, have quietly left the transit camps where they were housed.
According to rough estimates, more than 1400 Hindus have reached Jammu from Kashmir in the last 3 days alone. Reports suggest that 70 people only from the Mattan area of south Kashmir have reached Jammu. These fear-stricken Hindus are being compelled to believe the valley has returned to the state that existed in the 1990s.
In the 1990s, a planned exodus by Islamic terrorists was unleashed on the Kashmiri Hindu population of Kashmir. Hindus were raped, murdered and asked to either convert to Islam or leave Kashmir. Almost overnight, thousands of Kashmiri Hindus had fled the state to protect themselves from Islamic terrorism.
These Hindus have said that almost 250 government employees have fled Kashmir to reach Jammu on Thursday night alone.
According to a report by NDTV, around 400 families of Kashmiri Pandits had been living in Sheikhpora, but, it now bears a deserted look as all these families have left following the killing of several Hindus in the last week in the valley.
The authorities, meanwhile, are trying their best to instil confidence among the minority Kashmiri Pandit community in the valley. The Jammu and Kashmir administration made fervent appeals to the Hindus to not think about migrating. Relief Commissioner AK Pandita assured of “providing full security” and said all deputy commissioners have assured full security to their colonies.
The brutal killing of a teacher and principal, as well as other civilians, in the region recently has caused concern among minority groups that they will be the next target.
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.
This attack came in less than 48 hours after the killing of Makhan Lal Bindroo, the Kashmiri Pandit who stood his ground and refused to leave Kashmir even during the heights of Islamic terror in 1990s. Two other persons were also killed on the same day.
In the wake of the ongoing protests against the offering of Namaz at public places in the Gurugram, the Hindu women of the Gurugram sector 47 came out today to join the protest. The women sang Hindu devotional songs ‘Kirtans’ and ‘Aratis’ as a sign of protest against the public Namaz. This was also accompanied by Namaz offering by the Muslims who had gathered there.
गुरुग्राम सेक्ट 47 : इतिहास में पहली बार नमाज़ के विरोध में, नमाज़ और कीर्तन एक साथ pic.twitter.com/K9Q62WiArx
Gurugram News reported a video from the scene showing a large crowd at sector 47. According to reports, the Hindu women of the area joined the protests against the public offering of Namaz taking place in the area. In the video, it could be seen both men and women were present at the scene chanting slogans. Reportedly, the Hindu women sang devotional songs such as ‘Bhajans’ and ‘Kirtans’ to protest against the public offering of Namaz by the Muslims. Also, the report said that the Namaz offering was being carried out under full police security.
Last month, there was a huge protest against the public offering of Namaz going on in the area. The local residents protested against the Muslim men crowding around their place and accused them of breaking law and order. Later, an RTI query was filed after Gurugram Police had claimed that Muslims were allowed to offer Namaz at public places as per a mutual discussion between Hindus and Muslims.
Advocate Abhishek Sharma of Gurugram district Court then filed an RTI and sought details of such namaz spots and the representatives of communities who were part of the ‘mutual agreements’. Sharma has also sought information on action taken against the encroachers in a letter to the Public Information Officer. However, Gurugram Police has deleted the tweet where it had claimed that Namaz at public places were allowed after mutual agreements of both Hindus and Muslims.
October 9, 2021, marks the 301st birth anniversary of Bhai Taru Singh, a prominent Sikh martyr who gave up his life to protect Sikh values by having had his head scalped rather than cutting his hair and converting to Islam.
PM Modi took to Twitter to pay his tributes to the Sikh martyr on his birth anniversary. “Remembering Bhai Taru Singh Ji on his Jayanti. Generations to come will never forget his bravery. His unwavering commitment to truth and justice are deeply inspiring,” he tweeted.
Remembering Bhai Taru Singh Ji on his Jayanti. Generations to come will never forget his bravery. His unwavering commitment to truth and justice are deeply inspiring.
Bhai Taru Singh was born around 1720 in the Amritsar region during the rule of the Mughal empire. Right from his childhood days, Singh was deeply inspired by the Sikh ethos and attached to his religion. When he saw Sikh rebels rescuing a poor girl from the clutches of Mughal oppressors, he decided to become initiated into the Khalsa.
Singh has one sister, Tar Kaur. Both the siblings started serving food and aid to gurusikhs(devout Sikhs of the Guru). At that time, Sikh rebels were planning to topple the Mughal governor of Punjab, Zakaria Khan. According to historical accounts, an informant reported the siblings to Khan. The two were arrested on charges of treason.
It is said that villagers were able to secure the release of his sister by bribing the Mughal governor, but Bhai Taru Singh resolutely refused to seek a pardon. For his refusal to bow down before Khan, Singh was sent to imprisonment. He was reportedly tortured during his incarceration, but Singh did not grumble and stoically endured the agony.
Mughal governor Zakaria Khan had Bhai Taru Singh’s head scalped for refusing to convert to Islam
Later, when he was brought before Khan and asked about what gave him the strength to continue patiently suffer torture meted out to him, he said he drew his powers to endure torture through his keshas (‘unshorn hair’) blessed by Guru Gobind Singh. Rattled by his unwavering faith in Sikhism, Zakaria Khan gave Singh an ultimatum of either embracing Islam and have his hair cut off as an offering or face execution.
When he refused to abandon his religion, Khan had Bhai Taru Singh’s scalp cut away from his skull with a sharp weapon to prevent his hair from growing further. As per Sikh historian Ratan Singh Bhangu, after his scalp was torn off, Singh cursed Zakaria Khan, saying he would be killed by his shoes.
Sikh sources say after cutting Singh’s scalp, Khan was afflicted by unbearable pain and the inability to urinate. Realising his mistake, Khan sent an apology to the Khalsa Panth for his atrocities against the Sikhs and asked for their forgiveness. They reportedly suggested to him that if he wanted his pain to subside, he will have to hit himself with Singh’s shoes. Though it cured Khan of his condition, he died 22 days after having hit himself with the shoes, just like Singh had predicted. Upon learning that he had outlived his tormentor, Bhai Taru Singh died on 1 July 1745.
Mosques present in vicinity of Gurudwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh demolished after dispute over ownership of the site
As a mark of remembrance, Gurudwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh was built at the spot where Bhai Taru Singh was executed, which is in present-day Pakistan. The gurdwara was built after 1762 when the Sikh rule began in Punjab. The shrine was built on the grounds of the Shaheed Ganj Mosque in Naulakha Bazar of Lahore and was commissioned in 1722 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II, with its construction completed by Abdullah Khan in 1753.
But in the 1880s, the dispute between Sikhs and Muslims started over the ownership of the place. The Sikh community started protesting and objecting over the existence of a mosque near the spot where Bhai Taru Singh was martyred and soon the matter reached the court. In July 1935, when British authorities were hatching out a settlement between the two communities, a group of Sikhs demolished the mosque, touching off a deadly wave of communal riots.
However, as per Pakistani historian Shahid Shabbir, the mosque was demolished in presence of British officials after a court ruled in the favor of the Sikh community. Shabbir says the photographs of British officials and Sikh protesters standing at the site when walls and dome of the mosque were brought down were published in leading dailies.
Nevertheless, the site became a thorn in the side of Muslims and Sikhs since then. Even today, there are claims and counterclaims over the ownership of the land. Sikhs claim the land belongs to them while Muslims say they are the rightful heir to the site. It is said that the site is associated with four historical shrines. These include the Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Bhai Taru Singh (Shaheedi Asthan), Shaheed Ganj mosque (now non-existent), Darbar Hazrat Shah Kaku Chisti (dargah) and Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Singh Singhnian.
Pakistan had recently sealed Gurudwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh after a Muslim group claimed they won’t allow the Sikh shrine to exist
Recently, in July 2021, Pakistan had sealed the historical Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh after a land dispute between local Sikhs and a group of activists of Dawat-e-Islami (Barelvi). According to reports published then, Dawat-e-Islami claimed that the Gurdwara was located on the burial site of Muslims Pir Kaku Shah and they wouldn’t allow a Gurdwara to exist in the same premises. As communal tensions escalated, the Pakistani government intervened and sealed the premises which house a Gurdwara as well as a Mazar to avoid any untoward incident.
Nitesh Tiwari is set to make a trilogy of movies on the Hindu Epic Ramayana. Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan are expected to play the roles of Rama and Ravana respectively. For their roles, they are expected to receive Rs. 75 crores each.
The estimated budget of the trilogy is set at Rs. 750 crores. “The rest of the budget will go into making the kind of staggering epic that the Ramayan has never been treated to before,” a source informed Subhash K. Jha.
The Ramayan trilogy will be directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Madhu Mantena.
The report published on Bollywood Hungama also says that the news of Kareena Kapoor Khan being approached to play the role of Sita is completely false. “They were planted by her marketing team. Kareena for all her talent, doesn’t suit the part at all,” the source is reported to have said. The filmmakers are yet to decide who will play the role of Sita.
Earlier, it was reported that Kareena Kappor Khan had demanded Rs. 12 crores for the role of Sita in a retelling of the Ramayana from Sita’s point of view. The movie was tentatively titled ‘Sita: The Incarnation’.
Meanwhile, Kareena’s husband Saif Ali Khan has portrayed the role of Lankesh in another Ramayana based movie titled Adipurush. The movie has been directed by Om Raut and features Prabhas of Baahubali fame as Shri Ram. The shooting for that was completed on Saturday.
Nitesh Tiwari is an accomplished director who has won the National Film Award for the movies ‘Chillar Party’ and Chhichhore. The latter featured Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead. He has also directed the movie Dangal featuring Aamir Khan.
In the ongoing admission process in Delhi University (DU) with students of Kerala Board of Higher Secondary Education dominating the admission process, a teacher of DU Rakesh Kumar Pandey has said that he can sniff ‘Mark Jihad’ in this.
Pandey, professor of Physics at Kirori Mal College, said that since the past few years, under a Leftist-jihadi conspiracy, students from Kerala are being infiltrated in DU. He said that the Kerala Board awards 100 percent marks to its students which makes their entry in DU easy.“A college had to admit 26 students in a course having 20 seats only because they all had 100 per cent marks from Kerala board. For last few years, Kerala board is implementing #Marksjihad.” he said in a Facebook post on October 5.
Rakseh Pandey who is a former president of the National Democratic Teachers Front warned that in the coming days this premier university will meet the fate of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). They captured JNU now they will capture DU also, he said. “Leftists are known for manipulating admission process to pack a university with their volunteers. They did that in JNU successfully for decades,” he said in another Facebook post yesterday.
Pandey has courted the ire of the Left-Liberal gang for his ‘Mark Jihad’ comment but he insists that what he has said about this organized missionary kind of development to spread Jihadi and Leftist agenda will ruin DU. Kerala HRD minister V Sivankutty has sought action against him and Left students outfit demonstrating against him. The ABVP has also jumped into the debate and demanded rationalization of the marking system.
The professor said that he has been watching a trend of the growing dominance of Kerala students for the last three years, and there is an increase in the number of students from Kerala Board of Higher Secondary Education with 100 per cent marks. He said if any board wants to dominate admission it can easily be done by giving 100 per cent marks. “I feel there is a motive behind this. There are some people who want to send their volunteers into DU,” he said.
Rakesh Pandey, who has no intention to withdraw or apologize for his remarks, said that he just pointed out improper paper evaluation and his reference of Mark Jihad is quite contextual. He said that the like love done with the intention to spread religion is Love Jihad, marks allocation guided by reasons to spread leftist ideology is ‘Marks Jihad’.
He added that ‘the conspiracy behind the inexplicable surge in marks of students and the unnatural surge in the number of applications from Kerala Board is ideologically-driven and not religion-driven.’
He said that Communists are the greater danger and harmful, and ‘ricebag’ students from Kerala will inject toxic ideologies and jihad on DU’s campuses. While he fears frequent hartals and campus violence he wondered why Kerala youth coming to DU despite Kerala having a wonderful, 100% literate state with Harvard-beating education.
8. The greater danger is communist, Harmful and Ricebag students from Kerala will inject toxic ideologies and jehad into DU’s campuses. There will be frequent hartals and campus violence.
“Or have they just realised they have turned Kerala into another Bengal, a post communist dystopian nightmare?” he asked. As English and Hindi are the modes of teaching in DU, he claimed that most of these students from Kerala are also poor at English and Hindi.
A news website tfipost has analyzed certain admission data indicating a higher intake of students of Kerala State Board in DU. The report says that in spite of strict 100 percent cut-offs for some courses this year, students from Kerala are dominating the admission process. As per the report, 3 out of 10 courses with a 100 per cent cut-off, closed their admission processes on October 6, 2021. Out of 206 students admitted under the unreserved category, more than 95 per cent of them have studied from the Kerala state board of education. The report doubts that out of 28 states and 8 union territories, if Kerala captures 95 per cent of seats in admissions, it is an indication that the state has an extremely efficient system or something corrosive.
The Kerala state board uses the average of both class 11th and class 12th marks, to award final results to its students. On the other hand, DU offers admission on the basis of the cut-off marks of class 12th. Besides, Kerala Board for the reasons best known to Kerala HRD minister V Sivankutty has been liberal in awarding marks in class 12th.
Media reports suggest that DU officials too have come across discrepancies in the marks of class 11th and class 12th of the applicants from Kerala.
On Saturday (October 9), accused Ashish Mishra appeared before the UP Police Crime Branch over his alleged involvement in the violence that took place at Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. Ashish Mishra is the son of BJP leader and Minister of State (Home) Ajay Mishra Teni. He was summoned by the police in connection to the attack on BJP workers by the frenzied mob of farmer protestors.
#WATCH Son of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, Ashish Mishra arrives at Crime Branch office, Lakhimpur
Congress-friendly journalists peddle conspiracy theories about the whereabouts of Ashish Mishra
Although Ashish Mishra has been co-operating with the law enforcement authorities, Congress-friendly journalists, media persons and influencers took to Twitter to cast aspersions about his whereabouts. In a coordinated fashion, they cited unknown sources to claim that Mishra had fled to the neighbouring country of Nepal to evade investigation and arrest.
Journalist ‘Rana Ayyub’ alleged, “Picture this. The son of the junior minister of Home Affairs in India is allegedly absconding for murder and could possibly have escaped to Nepal.” While taking potshots at the Hindu community, she shared a picture with the caption, ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai Duryodhan??? (What is happening, Duryodhan? )’
Screengrab of the tweet by Rana Ayyub
Journalist-cum-Congress loyalist Nikhil Wagle also cast aspersions about the whereabouts of Mishra. “Minister’ son didn’t honour police summons. If he has fled to Nepal, Modi-Shah Adityanath should be held responsible,” he went about his rant on Friday.
Screengrab of the tweet by Nikhil Wagle
‘Journalist’ Ajit Anjum referred to Ashish Mishra as ‘Lakhimpur villain’ and alleged that he ran away to Nepal. “Modi hai toh Mumkin hai (Everything is possible under the Modi era),” he wrote.
Screengrab of the tweet by Ajit Anjum
‘Janta Ka Reporter’ founder and supposed journalist, Rifat Jawaid, called Ashish Mishra ‘farmers’ killer’ and went on to claim that he had fled to Nepal. While ensuring that he sympathizes with his co-religionists, Jawaid wrote, “Farmers’ killer Ashish Mishra reportedly fled to Nepal, but #AryanKhan continues to remain in custody. This is the story of India for you! Meanwhile, Supreme Court waits for a response from the UP government. This is the story of India’s justice system for you.”
Screengrab of the tweet by Rifat Jawaid
The official social media handle of Congress Sevadal (Manipur) tweeted, “Ashish Mishra s/o Union Minister Ajay Mishra has been reportedly seen in Nepal and the BJP Govt has helped him in every way by making Monu be #RunMonuRun.”
Screengrab of the tweet by Manipur Pradesh Congress Sevadal
Youth Congress leader Srivatsa attempted to draw a false equivalence between Siddique Kappan and Ashish Mishra. He claimed, “SIDDIQUE KAPPAN is in jail for the last one yr for doing his journalistic duty & trying to go to Hathras to report a gang-rape & murder. ASHISH MISHRA is free, protected by his father & relaxing in Nepal after getting caught on camera murdering Farmers with his car.”
Screengrab of the tweet by Srivatsa
West Bengal Trinamool Congress Committee Secretary, Becharam Manna, asserted that Ashish Mishra had skipped summons by Special Investigation Team (SIT) and had fled to Nepal. He went on to demand the ‘extradition’ of Mishra from the neighbouring country. “If he was not guilty why did he have to run? Requesting Narendra Modi to seek extradition of the accused. #TMCWithFarmers”
Screengrab of the tweet by Becharam Manna
Lakhimpur Kheri violence
On October 3, a ‘farmer’ mob attacked a BJP convoy with stones and sticks. The windshield of one of the cars broke and the driver seemingly lost control, thereby running over the crowd. Two protestors are believed to have lost their lives. Subsequently, the mob took to violence and beat up the men from the convoy and killed BJP workers. A total of 8 people, including a journalist, had lost his life.
Bureaucrat-turned politician Shah Faesal was reportedly set to be appointed as an advisor to Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha, according to initial media reports. The news of the proposed appointment came after Shah Faesal converted from being a virulent anti-BJP critic to a vocal advocate for Narendra Modi’s brand of governance.
However, sources within the Government have confirmed to OpIndia that Faesal will not be appointed an advisor to Manoj Sinha. Various news organisations such as Republic, CNN News18 and journalists associated with India Today had made the claim. However, OpIndia reached out to government sources who confirmed to us that the news is untrue.
IAS Officer @shahfaesal to be appointed as Advisor to Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir .
Shah Faesal had in 2020 stepped down as the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM), a political party he had founded with comrade Shehla Rashid. Since then, his future has been the subject of much speculation, with many believing that he could return to the administrative services.
More recently, he has been trolled by Islamists for praising Narendra Modi. Applauding the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ in January, Faesal had said, “It is like 1.3 Billion people coming together as a family on a Sunday morning and each one being heard and spoken to, each one feeling counted.” He further added, “My take away from this program: Communication can build solidarities and make a nation ‘sound’ like a family.”
A week earlier, Shah Faesal had praised the Prime Minister’s vaccine diplomacy. He had said, “This is more than just a vaccination program. It’s good governance + human capital formation + nation-building + India assuming global leadership as a Jagat Guru (The Guru of the World).”
Islamists had accused him of backstabbing Kashmiris and accused him of ‘bootlicking’. They had also call him ‘Sanghi’ and showered him with a torrent of other abuses.
Note: The report has been updated with relevant information.
