In a terror attack on Tuesday, suspected Islamist terrorists shot dead a 68 years old man Makhan Lal Bindroo at his pharmacy at Iqbal Park in Srinagar in Kashmir. Late Bindroo, the owner of the pharmacy Bindroo Medicate in Srinagar, was known as a brave man who was among few Kashmiri Pandit who had refused to leave the valley during the height of militancy in Jammu & Kashmir during the 1990s, when Islamic terrorists had launched an ethnic cleansing drive against Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits.
He had stayed back in Jammu & Kashmir along with his wife and grew his business. His family was involved in the pharmacy business for the last three generations and had a very good reputation. Bindroo had earned the trust of people as the only chemist shop in Srinagar that would not sell spurious drugs, and who would provide even difficult to get medicines to patients.
Two other innocent civilians were also gunned down by terrorists in two different incidents in the city. All three killings were executed in a similar fashion in quick succession. One of the deceased was identified as Virendra Paswan, a native of Bhagalpur district of Bihar who was residing in Alamgari Bazar Zadibal. He was a street vendor by profession who used to sell bhelpuri at the Hawal area of Srinagar.
The third victim was Mohd Shafi Lone, a resident of Naidkhai who was murdered by terrorists in the Shahgund area of Bandipore in North Kashmir. Lone was the president of the local taxi stand.
Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed shock over the incidents and condemned these attacks. “Deeply anguished to hear about the terror attack on Shri Makhan Lal Bindroo, owner of Bindroo Medicate. I strongly condemn this cowardly act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice very soon,” the office of the Lieutenant Governor tweeted.
Deeply anguished to hear about the terror attack on Shri Makhan Lal Bindroo, owner of Bindroo Medicate. I strongly condemn this cowardly act. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice very soon.
The Governor also condemned the killing of Virender Paswan and Mohd Shafi Lone by terrorists. He said that the barbaric act of killing innocent people is against humanity “Terrorists will never succeed in their nefarious designs, and those responsible for such heinous acts shall be brought to justice. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” Manoj Sinha said.
Undeterred by the killing of Makhan Lal Bindroo, his daughter Dr Shraddha Bindroo sent a strong message to terrorists and said that her father a Kashmiri Pandit will never die. ‘You can just kill the body but he will be alive in the spirit,’ she said.
Such BRAVERY!! Makhan Lal Bindroo Daughter sends a STRONG MESSAGE to Terr0rists who kiIIеd her father. “My Father Educated us. He WILL NEVER DIЕ. You CANNOT KiII his spirit” This is the Legacy of #Kashmiripandit#MakhanLalBindroo ? pic.twitter.com/IdWNW1pjs3
Sajad Lone of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference termed the murder of Bindroo outrageous and unacceptable. “I knew the gentleman personally. He never left the valley. And terrorists made him pay for that. May he live in peace,” Lone tweeted.
The incidents have taken place amid the report that the Union Minister of Home & Affairs Amit Shah is likely to visit the valley as part of the outreach programme. Apparently, Islamic terrorists are desperately trying to make their presence felt to mark the visit of Amit Shah.
The violence in Lakhimpur Kheri village that resulted in the death of 8 people, including ‘protesting’ farmers and BJP workers, has galvanised the opposition leaders who are leaving no stone unturned to exploit the situation and draw political mileage out of it.
After Priyanka Gandhi, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, and several other politicians had tried to use the deaths of ‘protesting’ farmers and BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri to revive their political fortunes ahead of the all-important UP assembly polls scheduled to take place early next year.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also jumped in the fray when he convened a press conference on Wednesday and spoke on the violence that erupted in Lakhimpur Village on Sunday, October 3, 2021.
Attacking the central government over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Gandhi scion said it is a systematic attack against the farmers. Gandhi further added that he will try to visit Lakhimpur Kheri along with two chief ministers to meet the families of those farmers who were killed on Sunday.
Farmers are being mowed down by a jeep, they’re being murdered, the name of a union minister & his son is coming up in this incident (Lakhimpur Kheri). Y’day, PM visited Lucknow but he didn’t visit Lakhimpur Kheri. It’s a systematic attack on farmers: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/ajyrCdt8Dx
“Farmers are being mowed down by a jeep, they’re being murdered, the name of a union minister & his son is coming up in this incident (Lakhimpur Kheri). Yesterday, PM visited Lucknow but he didn’t visit Lakhimpur Kheri. It’s a systematic attack on farmers,” Gandhi said in addressing the press conference.
“Today, with two CMs we will visit Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh to understand the situation there and support the farmers’ families. Yes, Priyanka has been put under detention (in Sitapur) but this is a matter relating to the farmers,” Gandhi added.
While Rahul Gandhi tries to insinuate the flare-up was a part of a predetermined plan, with the involvement of BJP leaders, it is worth noting that the facts of the matter so far available in the public domain do not jibe with the Gandhi scion’s insinuations.
Facts of the Lakhimpur Kheri village do not fit with Rahul Gandhi’s allegations
On Sunday eight people had died after protesting ‘farmers’ attacked BJP workers at Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. Several media organisations reported the sequence of events that led to the attack on the BJP workers and the ensuing violence that saw a car of BJP workers set on fire.
According to a News18 report, the driver Hari Om Mishra was driving the vehicle which got pelted with stones. Reports say that he was hit on his head by the stone, he lost balance and the vehicle turned over which crushed at least two farmers
In the same vehicle were two BJP functionaries, agitated farmers dragged the three of them, hit them with sticks and stones. Their vehicle was then set on fire. A local journalist named Raman Kashyap was also reportedly attacked by the mob. All four unfortunately succumbed to their injuries.
Several videos are available that show the so-called ‘farmers’ mercilessly thrashing the occupants of the vehicle. The murderous mob had beaten them to death and set the vehicle on fire.
However, soon enough a hazy image of a man driving the car with a broken windshield that ‘ran over’ the farmers, presumably as the driver lost control of the car was bandied around by some journalists as that of Ashish Mishra, son of MoS A K Mishra to allege that the BJP leader wantonly mowed down the farmers beneath the car.
Was the car driven by MoS AK Mishra’s son? Here’s what we know
Before long, the narrative that the car was driven by Ashish Mishra, son of MoS AK Mishra, gathered steam as Congress ecosystem members and sympathisers proceeded to dehumanise the BJP workers who died in the attack and instead blame the party for unleashing violence against the farmers.
Multiple video clips emerged from the incident, but not a single one of them showed Ashish Mishra very clearly. Surely there would be a clearer image instead of an extremely blurred image which the opposition claims are that of Ashish Mishra.
Moreover, Ashish Mishra gave multiple statements to multiple media houses on the day of violence. Not a single one of them shows him being injured or even grazed, nor any specs of blood on his pristine white shirt.
Rahul Gandhi mimicks the propaganda that dehumanises BJP lives and exonerates ‘protesting’ farmers who allegedly instigated the violence
Logic dictates that when the car is attacked by stones, sticks and windshield is broken from the driver’s side enough to get him to lose control, he would himself very likely have some injuries. Secondly, when such a murderous, bloodthirsty mob is waiting with tempers running high, did the mob just let Mishra get away without a scratch? No scuffle? Mishra just miraculously ‘escaped’ from the mob, the Congress ecosystem wants us to believe.
In addition to this, his father, MoS A K Mishra has repeatedly affirmed that his son was not even present at the place where the incident took place. But the propagandists have not let the facts come in their way of agenda. Despite evidence suggesting to the contrary, the opposition party leaders are milking the situation by somehow linking the attack to the BJP and exonerating the ‘protesting’ farmers.
Rahul Gandhi also seems to be mimicking this narrative where BJP workers are dehumanised, their lives disregarded and their deaths swept under the carpet so that rampaging farmers can be given a clean chit and the central government could be implicated of employing heavy-handed means against ‘innocent’ citizens.
In a bid to restrict any kind of ‘activism’, China under ‘morality crackdown’ has banned irrational star chasing, online celebrity rankings, fundraising and other tools used by China’s fandoms to get their idols trending on social media.
The decision has been justified claiming that the fan culture has become an exploitative industry aimed at profiting from minors, built on artificially inflated social media engagement. The authorities also suggested that these new rules were needed to curb alleged excessive aspects of fan culture which include cyberbullying, stalking, doxxing and aggressive online wars between fandoms.
In another crackdown, China’s broadcast regulator last month banned performers with ‘lapsed morals’ and ‘incorrect political views’. In a vague description, they also imposed a ban on ‘sissy men’, an androgynous aesthetic popularised by Korean boybands, and imitated by male Chinese idols like Xiao.
What is star chasing?
The youth in China spend hours on social media platforms like Weibo to trend their favourite stars and celebrities. Beijing high schooler Chen Zhichu spent 30 minutes a day boosting actor Xiao Zhan online before the government declared it a ‘foul practice.’
A 16-year-old die-hard fan of Xiao who gained a massive female fan-following for his role in the 2019 fantasy drama The Untamed said, “I used to upvote posts in his Weibo fan forum and buy products he promoted. It was pretty exhausting trying to keep him trending at number one every day.”
Interestingly, China’s lucrative ‘idol economy’ powered by fans is said to be worth 140 billion yuan ($21.6 billion) by 2022.
Communist authorities worried about ‘fan armies’
A social studies professor at a Chinese university on the condition of anonymity claimed, “It’s the beginnings of a mass movement and that is what the government doesn’t want”.
Reportedly, the ability of idols to mobilize fan armies at a moment’s notice, often dominating social media for days, has got the communist authorities worried. Fang Kecheng, a communications professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said that Chinese youth lack any other type of idol other than entertainment.
“It’s very hard for them to have other means of civic participation (such as activism),” said Kecheng.
The fans informed that seeing their idols flourish gave them a sense of pleasure. Moreover, they found a sense of community from the shared online space. For now, Chinese superfans have been forced to keep a low profile both on and offline.
China wants cartoonists to produce ‘healthy’ content
In an effort to ‘revamp’ its entertainment industry, China in the latter half of September encouraged producers to create more “healthy” cartoons and bring an end to “violent, vulgar or pornographic” content.
As per the National Radio and Television Administration, the government in a notice said that children and young people were the main audiences for cartoons. It urged the qualified agencies to broadcast content that ‘upholds truth, goodness and beauty’.
Weibo suspends 22 K-pop fan accounts
Extending its cleaning drive, China last month suspended 22 fan accounts for ‘irrational star-chasing behaviour’.
This included the accounts of fans who initiated a crowdfunding campaign on the platform to customize an aeroplane for K-pop singer Park Ji-Min’s 26th birthday. Weibo accused one fan account of “illegal fundraising” for the stunt. The accounts have been suspended for a period of 30 to 60 days.
The social networking platform, in a statement, had made it clear that it “firmly opposes such irrational star-chasing behaviour and will deal with it seriously”.
China’s crackdown on ed-tech companies
Not just entertainment, but the communist party of China has aimed to regulate private capital in the private tuition sector as well. Concerned about unhealthy competition, the Chinese government in one sweeping move, banned after-school tuition/coaching companies from earning profits, raising capital or going public.
The directive mandated that all ed-tech companies will re-register as ‘non-profit organizations’, local authorities will not allow any new ed-tech company, and existing companies will be subject to examination. Any online courses for 3 to 6-year-old children have been banned. No ed-tech company can teach school subjects on holidays or weekends.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday denied permission to the five-member delegation of the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri district where eight people died during the farmers protest. Rahul Gandhi along with Sachin Pilot, Charanjit Singh Channi, Bhupesh Baghel and KC Venugopal was expected to visit Lakhimpur Kheri. The police said that they will allow the politicians to visit Lakhimpur Kheri soon, but right now,
The violence triggered here on Sunday after protesting ‘farmers’ attacked a convoy of the BJP workers and subsequent violence led to the death of at least eight people. Four of the deceased were BJP workers. The state government denied permission as prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in Lucknow owing to the law and order situation. The prohibitory order will stay till November 8.
Besides, the government is also concerned about the Covid 19 protocol at a time when the festival season has approached and a lot of competitive examinations are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh. According to the media report the government has also cited farmers’ protest as among the reasons if the Congress delegation has been denied permission. The Yogi Adityanath government is aware of the potentials of the dirty tricks department of the Congress, displayed on several occasions including the Hathras rape case.
In another development the Uttar Pradesh government booked Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and 11 others including Deepinder Hooda and Ajay Kumar Lallu under Section 107/16 of IPC. The FIR was lodged at Hargaon police station for creating disturbance and she was kept at PAC guest house in Sitapur district. Internet services have currently been suspended in Sitapur.
Priyanka Vadra is part of the recently formed nine member agitation committee of the Congress that has been assigned to create, continue and support any such political disturbance against the BJP and the BJP led governments at the Centre and the states. And if they are in a poll-bound state such as Uttar Pradesh, nothing better, eh? Farmers’ protest is one such grand design in which the Congress has invested so heavily.
During the Hathras episode Priyanka Vadra had resorted to similar antics as she had done in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. As she believes that incident will provide her a ‘Belchi moment’ she rushed to Lakhimpur Kheri. But when she was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police she threatened the state police that she will accuse officials of molestation.
As the situation firmly under control after the Yogi government wisely handled the matter, the Congress and the cabal is desperate to accelerate the tension. News 18 reported that the Uttar Pradesh government has sent a report to the Centre regarding farmers’ violence and related development.
Meanwhile, union minister of state for Home & Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra has once again reiterated that his son Ashish Mishra was not present at place of violence. It was alleged that his car mowed farmers. An FIR was lodged against minister’s son. But several media reports disputed this claim and said the person in the video was a BJP worker Sumit Jaisawal. Further, no video or photographic evidence of Ashish Mishra being present at the site has emerged yet.
District Magistrate of Bahraich Dinesh Chandra on Wednesday informed that the second post-mortem report of the alleged farmer who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence also did not reveal any bullet injury.
The family of the deceased had claimed that the ‘farmer’ had died due to a bullet injury. They had refused to accept the first post-mortem report which suggested that the death was caused due to injuries, shock and brain hemorrhage.
The family had refused to cremate the body and had demanded another post-mortem to be conducted. Complying with the family’s request, the government had ordered a second autopsy for which an expert team was sent from Lucknow.
“Family of a person who died in Lakhimpur incident had raised doubts over post mortem and requested another one. The state government complied and post mortem was done again to ensure it is done impartially and transparently,” informed Chandra.
An expert panel of doctors had come from Lucknow to monitor the post mortem, which was recorded in compliance with the orders from Chief Minister’s Office: Dinesh Chandra, Bahraich DM
“An expert panel of doctors had come from Lucknow to monitor the post mortem, which was recorded in compliance with the orders from Chief Minister’s Office,” he informed further.
Reportedly, the family is now satisfied with the autopsy report. “I have no issue now. The team from the Lucknow came for the post-mortem. We will accept the result. After few rituals, the cremation will take place,” said a family member of the deceased.
Farmer unions refused to accept autopsy report
Not just the family of the deceased farmer, even Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had issued a statement insisting that the protesting farmer had died due to a bullet injury.
“We upheld our earlier statement that one of the protestors was shot dead by the team of the minister’s son,” SKM said.
Bhartiya Kisan Union President Rajveer Singh Jadaun also claimed, “Sukhwinder was shot dead. However, this was not confirmed in the first post-mortem. His post-mortem will be performed again by a team of doctors from AIIMS, BHU, PGI and a senior forensic doctor in the presence of SKM representatives in Bahraich.”
Republic Day redux
Not even ten months since the left ecosystem played the same card, they once again claimed the farmers are being shot at by the ‘fascist government.’
To flare up the January 26 riots, the left-liberals had tried to blame Delhi Police for the death of a protestor who lost his life due to overturning of his tractor, by claiming that the protestor was shot dead by the police. Many journalists too, had peddled the lie, claiming that the ‘farmer’ was shot by Delhi police. In reality, the deceased person had received serious injuries when his tractor flipped up during an attempt to perform stunts.
The postmortem report had confirmed that the man had died due to an accident and not bullet injuries. According to the autopsy report, the rioter had died during the tractor rally succumbing to the antemortem injuries he received after his tractor turned turtle as seen in the viral video of the incident.
The post mortem report clarifies that he (farmer who died during the tractor rally in Delhi yesterday) was not shot. He succumbed to the antemortem injuries which he received after his tractor turned turtle as seen in the viral video: Avinash Chandra, ADG Bareilly in Rampur, UP pic.twitter.com/goFuCA1I2X
Despite this, the left ecosystem continued to spread fake news on the so-called farmer’s death. The Wire in an article titled “Autopsy Doctor Told Me He’d Seen the Bullet Injury But Can Do Nothing as His Hands are Tied” quoted the grandfather of the deceased to cast aspersions on the cause of the death of the protester and allege that the administration is hiding his real cause of the death.
PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday, October 5, inaugurated ‘Azadi@75 – New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape’ Conference-cum-Expo at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow. PM Modi started his speech by welcoming the dignitaries on the dais and urging for maximum participation during this expo, which has been organised to mark 75 years of independence.
PM Modi recalled how people from all over Uttar Pradesh had shown great enthusiasm when Lucknow had hosted DefExpo-2020, a flagship biennial event of the Ministry of Defense last year and expected similar participation this time too.
Video credits: Narendra Modi/YouTube
75,000 beneficiaries in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh provided houses under PMAY-U
“Today, the foundation stone of 75 Urban development projects of Uttar Pradesh have been laid, said PM Modi adding that the government is also digitally handing over keys of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) houses to 75,000 beneficiaries in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. He said that he was happy and satisfied that these beneficiaries will be able to celebrate all upcoming festivals, like Diwali, Chat Puja etc in their new houses.
The Prime Minister further said that what makes him even happier is that the ownership rights of at least 75 per cent of the houses provided to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana have been awarded to females or at least they are joint owners.
Ownership rights of most houses under PMAY-U provided to women beneficiaries
Modi said that he is happy to learn that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has offered a 2 per cent reduction in stamp duty charges to women on registration of properties that cost Rs 10 lakhs or less. Modi emphasised that Indian society has traditionally been male-dominated and that this move is laudable, especially because women have never been valued in our country.
For a healthy society, it is important to strike a balance and this is the reason why the BJP government has decided that women would be granted the ownership right of houses provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
PM Modi thanks Lucknow for giving the country a visionary in the form of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The Prime Minister further said that Lucknow has given a visionary in the form of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the nation dedicated to Mother Bharati. Today, in his memory, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chair is being established in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University. “I am confident that this chair will elevate Atal Ji’s vision, actions, and contributions to nation-building on the international stage”, said Modi.
PM Modi lauded Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s contribution to the Indian economy. He said that his foreign policies and contribution towards India’s improvised connectivity are the backbone of India’s success. From rural roads to the Golden Quadrilateral and the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), Vajpayee’s ambitious dual vision transformed India’s economic policy framework.
At the time, the proposal by the Vajpayee-led government to connect the entire country through highways and roads was considered audacious. Some people could not believe that something as implausible as this was even possible.
“Similarly, six years back when I too proposed big infrastructure projects like crores of pucca houses for the poor, millions of toilets, fast trains, new gas pipeline network in various cities, optical fibre, the same people, out of habit, poked fun at my vision and felt that it would be impossible to achieve so much,” he said.
Number of pucca houses constructed under PM Awas Yojana has exceeded the population of many countries in the world: PM Modi
“Today, however, the world has witnessed India’s success in these various domains. Today, the number of pucca houses that are being constructed under PM Awas Yojana even exceeds the population of many countries in the world”, said the PM.
Pointing out hindrances faced during the UPA rule, PM Modi stated that before 2014, the government had approved only 13 lakh houses under the scheme. Out of this 13 lakh, the previous UPA government managed to build only 8 lakh houses. However, since 2014, the BJP government has approved the construction of more than 1 crore 13 lakh houses in various cities under PM Awas Yojana. Out of this, more than 50 lakh houses have been built and handed over to the poor.
The BJP government, unlike the government before 2014, handed over complete freedom, from the design of the houses to the construction of the houses, to the beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana.
Before 2014, there was no clear policy about the size of the houses of government schemes. However, After 2014, the BJP government made a clear policy regarding the size of the houses as it was decided that no house smaller than 22 square meters will be built, informed the PM.
Speaking about Uttar Pradesh alone, PM Modi stated that the government which was at the helm before the Yogi government had in their tenure given approval for the construction of 18,000 houses. The govt in place, however, built zero houses for the poor. But, since 2017, the urban poor have already got 9 lakh houses under the Yogi Government, asserted PM Modi. Additionally, the construction of 14 lakh houses is at different levels in the state.
Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh got 18,000 houses sanctioned under PM Awas Yojana. The govt in place, however, built zero houses for the poor!
Since 2017, the urban poor has already got 9 lakh houses under Yogi Ji’s govt!
Along with the house, when the poor people will be gifted electricity, free gas and toilets too, then surely their ‘griha pravesh’ will be with a lot of ‘aan baan aur shaan’ (dignity and honour), added Modi.
PM Modi asks PMAY beneficiaries to light 18 lakh diyas and surpass Ayodhya’s record
Here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in jest posed a challenge before the Yogi Adityanath-led-Uttar Pradesh government ahead of Diwali celebrations next month.
The Indian Prime Minister appealed to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to light 2 Diyas on the occasion of Diwali and surpass the record of 7.5 lakh lit Diyas in Ayodhya. He had set up the mammoth challenge before the Yogi Adityanath government to ensure its implementation. At about 2 hours 27 minutes into the programme, PM Modi remarked, “Since I have come to Uttar Pradesh, I want to give some homework. But you will have to do it. Will you?”
He emphasised, “I have read in the papers that there will be an event during Diwali at Ayodya wherein 7.5 lakh Diyas would be lit. I want to encourage the people of Uttar Pradesh to join me in this competition of ‘light.’ I want to see that the 9 lakh houses allotted under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana light 2 Diyas each i.e. a total of 18 lakh Diyas as compared to Ayodhya’s 7 lakhs. Can this be done?”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Lord Ram will be pleased with such a sight. “The 9 lakh families who have been provided houses under the PMAY in the past 7 years must light 2 Diyas outside their homes on Diwali. About 7.5 lakh Diyas will be lit in Ayodhya. But, 18 lakh Diyas will be lit in the houses of my poor brothers and sisters. Even Lord Ram will be pleased,” PM Modi said.
Housing finance initiatives by the BJP government
Speaking on the housing finance initiatives taken by the BJP government, PM Modi said that he is glad that the Yogi government has implemented the Model Tenancy Act.
The Union Cabinet, on June 2, 2021, approved the Model Tenancy Act, 2021. The Model Tenancy Act aims to enforce a transparent ecosystem for renting premises, minimize litigations and reduce tenant-landlord disputes.
Modi added that his government has also made a very serious effort to overcome the problems and challenges of the urban middle class by implementing the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. This law has protected the interests of home buyers and also boost investments in the real estate sector.
Alongside, the BJP government has also allocated 1000s of crores to complete the construction of houses that have lied incomplete for so many years, asserted Modi, adding that his government is providing all sorts of assistance to middle-class people so that they can acquire their dream houses.
Central government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan
Moving on to the central government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, PM Modi said that people had gotten used to living with filth around them. This was not only affecting the tourism sector of the country but also was a major health hazard. To change the perspective of the citizens and develop awareness, the BJP government started the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. More than 60 lakh individual toilets and 6 lakh community toilets were built all across the country.
Before 2017, only 18 per cent of the accumulated wastes went through the proper disposal process. But now, India’s solid waste collection efficiency, however, is around 70 per cent, informed Modi.
In Uttar Pradesh also many such initiatives are being taken to which would enhance the waste collection efficiency in the state.
PM Modi added that under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2.0, the central government is emphasising wiping out the mountains of garbage from India’s cities by processing all legacy waste.
LED light distribution scheme undertaken by the Modi government
Moving on, the Prime Minister spoke about how the central government’s effort to replace conventional street lights with high power consumption with power-efficient LED lights have paid off.
Urban bodies are saving about Rs 1 thousand crore every year due to the installation of LED street lights. Now, this amount is being used for other development works, said Modi, adding that the LED lights have also greatly reduced the electricity bill of the people living in the city.
LED स्ट्रीट लाइट लगने से शहरी निकायों के भी हर साल करीब 1 हजार करोड़ रुपये बच रहे हैं।
अब ये राशि विकास के दूसरे कार्यों में उपयोग में लाई जा रही है।
LED ने शहर में रहने वाले लोगों का बिजली बिल भी बहुत कम किया है।
Modi added that under the Ujwala Yojana, the central government made LED bulbs available to consumers at a price of Rs 50-60 as compared to the open market retail price which is anything between Rs 350-600.
Till date, crores of LED lights have been distributed under the central scheme, which has resulted in estimated annual monetary savings of Rs 24,000 crore in consumer electricity bills, informed Modi.
PM Modi stresses on the importance of technology
Further emphasising the importance of technology, PM Modi said that technology has brought a big change in the urban sector in India in the last 6-7 years.
Technology is the basis of the Integrated Command and Control Centers that are running in more than 70 cities of the country today, said Modi.
“When we were in Gujarat, we heard people in Lucknow say “pehle aap…pehle aap,” PM Modi said in jest. Now, we must treat technology in the same way, added PM Modi stressing on how technology is the key to a better future.
PM Swanidhi Yojana
The Prime Minister here gave the example of the PM Swanidhi Yojana to underline how technology has changed the lives of the poor in India.
He said that under PM Swanidhi Yojana, street vendors have been linked with banks. Through this scheme, the help of more than Rs 2500 crore has been given to over 25 lakh poor people. More than 7 lakh street vendors of UP have taken benefit of Swanidhi Yojana.
Initially, like other central government scheme’s people mocked PM Swanidhi Yojana saying how these illiterate people would use digital platforms. But, PM Modi added that India is making new records in digital payments. In July, August, and September, India has managed to make transactions worth over Rs 6 lakh crore every month. This shows the strength of India that is swiftly changing and turning digital.
Before concluding his speech, PM Modi said that India in the 21st century is set to move ahead with the power of multimodal connectivity. “We’re swiftly working on that and will make sure all urban infrastructure schemes also create employment in big numbers”, assured the Indian Prime Minister.
PM Modi launches 75 urban development projects in Uttar Pradesh under Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT
It may be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-day visit to launch 75 urban development projects in Uttar Pradesh under Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT. Besides flagging off 75 buses under FAME-II for seven cities including Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Jhansi and Ghaziabad, PM Modi also released a Coffee Table Book encompassing 75 projects implemented under various flagship missions of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The Indian Prime Minister also digitally handed over keys to 75000 PMAY beneficiaries in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Anas Haqqani, leader of the Islamist group Haqqani Network on Tuesday visited the tomb of Mahmud Ghaznavi, who attacked the Somnath temple in Gujarat in 10th century 17 times and even broke the idol.
The shrines of these honors inspire us with freedom, pride & courage.
Anas Haqqani hailed Ghaznavi for ‘establishing a strong Muslim rule’ in Ghazni and smashing the idol at Somnath temple. He further added that these shrines ‘inspire us with freedom, pride and courage’.
Haqqani Network pledged allegiance to another Afghanistan-based Islamist group Taliban in 1995. It has close ties with jihadis around the world including Osama Bin Laden. In 2012, US declared Haqqani Network a terrorist organisation. Anas Haqqani was a member of the Taliban’s negotiation team in its political office in Doha, Qatar.
While an average Islamist would condemn idol worship, Taliban, like many Islamists, takes it a step further and breaks them as Islam forbids idol worship. Haqqani Network leader just hailed the one who destroyed symbol of other’s faith. However, Somnath temple has been rebuilt and stands tall, protecting the Hindus from the western most part of India, looking beautiful and resplendent than anything Haqqani’s eyes could see.
श्री सोमनाथ महादेव मंदिर, प्रथम ज्योतिर्लिंग – गुजरात (सौराष्ट्र) दिनांकः 06 अक्तूबर 2021, भाद्रपद कृष्ण अमावस्या – बुधवार प्रातः शृंगार 10213198 pic.twitter.com/5Pz9h6HZMP
Here is how incredibly beautiful the first Jyotirlinga looked this morning.
Mahmud of Ghazni and Somnath temple
Mahmud of Ghazni was the 10th-century Muslim invader of Turkic dynasty of Ghaznavids who looted and plundered the temple in Gujarat. He also broke the Jyotirlinga and also believed to have killed thousands of devotees who were trying to protect the temple. Attracted by India’s wealth, he is believed to have attacked and looted India 17 times. Other than the Somnath temple, he is believed to have destroyed temples at Kangra, Mathura and Jwalamukhi. Because of this, he had earned himself the nickname ‘idol breaker’.
In ‘Lives of Indian Images’, 1999 (Princeton University Press), Richard Davis mentions Ghaznavi wanted to destroy the idols as his duty as a Muslim.
Excerpt from Lives of Indian Images’ by Richard Davis, 1999 (Princeton University Press).
Mahmud Ghaznavi insisted that it was primarily a Hindu religious object and his first duty was to destroy it. It is believed that he not only broke the Somnath idol, he even took its pieces to be trod over the footsteps of Jama Masjid in Ghazna, Afghanistan.
The Somnath temple was rebuilt after India’s independence at the initiative of first union home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It is known that PM Jawaharlal Nehru didn’t like the idea of reconstruction of the ancient temple, who had opposed it terming it as an act of Hindu revivalism.
Despite enemies outside and within, Somnath continues to be the symbol of Hindu resilience, honour and morality. That despite invaders and so-called secularists, the Hindu faith will survive.
Pakistani ‘activist’ Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by a Pakistani Taliban terrorist in 2012, has heaped praises on Taliban supporter Prime Minister Imran Khan in a Twitter post. Khan who in a BBC interview called the Taliban’s ban on girl education ‘un-Islamic’ received applause from the Noble Laureate for his statement.
“The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic. Appreciate @ImranKhanPTI standing up for girls’ education. I hope more world leaders will support Afghan women’s rights and tell the Taliban to let girls return to school,” Tweeted Malala, sharing the BBC News report.
“The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic.”
Appreciate @ImranKhanPTI standing up for girls’ education. I hope more world leaders will support Afghan women’s rights and tell the Taliban to let girls return to school. https://t.co/Sy2MQgcyxK
Khan was quoted by BBC as saying, “I think they (Taliban) will allow women to go to schools. The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic. It has nothing to do with religion.”
However, Malala’s vocal appreciation of Khan, whose government has provided tacit support to the Taliban to regain control over Afghanistan, has not gone down well with many Afghans and others.
A Twitter user said, “Malala, you are not an Afghan woman, you are Pakistani. Stop speaking on behalf of Afghans & thanking a Taliban supporter. Just because white westerners think all “brown” Muslims are the same and will use any as a token doesn’t mean that the SWANA world doesn’t know and care.”
Malala, you are not an Afghan woman, you are Pakistani. Stop speaking on behalf of Afghans & thanking a Taliban supporter. Just because white westerners think all “brown” Muslims are the same and will use any as a token doesn’t mean that the SWANA world doesn’t know and care. https://t.co/AmgC6k06vm
Mujtaba Naqib who has an Afghan flag in his Twitter profile remarked, “Absolute hypocrite. The person that you are praising also claimed that the “Holy War” that was declared by the Taliban was justified. Since when was the killing of innocent men, women, and children justified in Islam? Its better to keep silent than tweet nonsense.”
Absolute hypocrite.
The person that you are praising also claimed that the “Holy War” that was declared by the Taliban was justified.
Since when was the killing of innocent men, women, and children justified in Islam?
Reminding Malala of the gun attack, Nazia Nasrat of Kabul University Tweeted, “Well, I didn’t get it. You know that your PM represents and lobbying for the #Taliban and I’m sure you also know who the Taliban are.”
Well, I didn’t get it. You know that your PM represents and lobbying for the #Taliban and I’m sure you also know who the Taliban are. https://t.co/NSDVARiKnX
Upset with Malala’s hypocrisy ‘Pashtun Bhoy’ said, “The fact that @Malala can actually endorse serial #misogynist @ImranKhanPTI is illustrative that sadly her credibility is no longer worthy. I’m ashamed to be of the same ethnic lineage as her.”
Interestingly, Khan who claims to support girls’ education in Afghanistan does not seem to be perturbed by the low percentage of women literacy in Pakistan. As per a Statista report, the literacy rate amongst women in Pakistan from 2006 to 2017 remains low at 46.47 per cent.
Textbooks showing Malala Yousafzai as ‘important personality’ seized
Ironically, Pakistani authorities in July this year had seized textbooks that listed Malala Yousafzai as an ‘important personality’, apparently for her ‘controversial views’ on Islam.
The All-Pakistan Private Schools Federation had even decided to launch a documentary to ‘expose’ her before the youth. The president of the organisation, Kashif Mirza, said, “Through this documentary film ‘I am not Malala’, we will tell 20 million students in 200,000 private schools across the country about her controversial views on Islam, marriage, pursuing of Western agenda.”
“The idea behind this is we want to expose Malala among the youth so they do not get impressed by her so-called story of struggle for women rights,” he had said at a press conference.
Malala criticized for ignoring atrocities by Taliban
The Pakistani activist was criticized heavily for staying mum after the Taliban had taken over Afghanistan and had stepped up atrocities against women.
Till August, there was not a single post by Malala on Afghanistan and the Taliban. Though the so-called ‘activist,’ who enjoys a comfortable life in the UK at the expense of the UK government, has been very vocal on myriad issues and often criticises India, she had been quite silent on actual atrocities meted out against women in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Rating agency Moody’s on Tuesday promoted India’s rating outlook to stable from the negative ranking earlier. It also affirmed India’s Baa3 rating, signifying that the country has robust growth prospects and its economy is on its path to recovery after two years of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
In June 2020, roughly about 16 months ago, top rating agency Moody’s had decided to downgrade India’s outlook to the lowest investment grade of ratings, just above junk, in the wake of the economic downturn induced by the stringent lockdown restrictions imposed by the centre to ward off the threat of the coronavirus outbreak.
For an average patriotic Indian then, the economic slowdown did have an impact on their earnings, and therefore, the lowering of the country’s economic outlook, even though arrived at through a nebulous and esoteric process, evoked feelings of anxiety and concern.
Left-leaning “intellectuals” indulge in fearmongering after Moody’s lowered India’s rating in 2020
But for the usual suspects and the so-called left-leaning “intellectuals”, the demotion of India’s economic outlook by Moody’s was a political opportunity to mount an attack against their nemesis—the Modi government. A raft of left ideologues, whose pathological hatred for PM Modi has segued into their revulsion for India, resorted to maligning the Modi government for the gloomy economic condition in the country that they claimed had led Moody’s to downgrade its ratings.
Even though countries around the world were suffering from the economic slump as a result of the pandemic, the left-leaning “intellectuals” and opposition leaders took the opportunity to denigrate the Indian government and accuse them of mismanaging the economy amidst the raging COVID-19 outbreak.
The leader of the pack, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, took to Twitter to berate the central government on the lowering of India’s rating by Moody’s. Several of his lickspittle and others who sympathised with the Congress party followed the suit and indulged in fear-mongering, asserting that the reduction of India’s ratings is a bellwether of the end of India’s growth story.
Rahul Gandhi’s tweet from June 2020
Their scaremongering is incomplete without the inclusion of the perceived persecution of Muslims by the central government. So, in their attempt to stoke fear psychosis among people who were already reeling under the economic shadow of the coronavirus outbreak, the left-leaning intellectuals and supporters declared that investors would shun India because of its mistreatment of Muslims and disastrous handling of the economy by the Modi government.
It was a classic left-leaning strategy of killing two birds with one stone. Use the lowering of India’s ratings to sow apprehensions about the country’s economy among anxious people and thereby discredit the Modi government and paint the Centre as inherently anti-Muslim so as to consolidate the Muslim vote bank against the BJP.
Source: TwitterSource: Twitter
Some of them even tried to undercut the impact of a pandemic for Moody’s to demote India’s ratings. They claimed that India’s rating was lowered not because of the economic devastation caused by the pandemic but due to pre-existing problems like weak reforms, low growth for sustained periods and stress in financial sectors.
Source: Twitter
Except, it is not surprising since most of these who were gleefully sharing the downgrading of India’s ratings are the ones who have benefitted immensely from the (near) Communist Indian economy until the 90s. The system was working well, but only for them. The UPA era was the best for them, since as per some accounts, some ‘journalists’ were also able to fix cabinet berths and get their fancy interns introduced to the politicians through lobbyists.
Moody’s upgrades India’s ratings from negative to stable
However, sixteen months after the left-leaning intellectuals had prophesied that India’s economy was on a brink of an imminent collapse, the Moody’s Investors Services on Tuesday, October 5, upgraded the outlook on the Government of India’s rating from negative to stable. Moody’s also affirmed the country’s foreign currency and local currency long-term insurer ratings and local currency senior unsecured rating at Baa3.
The agency said the revision of India’s ratings from negative to stable reflects the view that the downside risks from negative feedback between the real economy and financial system are receding.
“Moody’s Investors Service has today changed the outlook on the Government of India’s ratings to stable from negative and affirmed the country’s foreign-currency and local-currency long-term issuer ratings and the local-currency senior unsecured rating at Baa3,” it said in a statement.
“With higher capital cushions and greater liquidity, banks and non-bank financial institutions pose a much lesser risk to the sovereign than Moody’s previously anticipated. And while risks stemming from a high debt burden and weak debt affordability remain, Moody’s expects that the economic environment will allow for a gradual reduction of the general government fiscal deficit over the next few years, preventing further deterioration of the sovereign credit profile,” the rating agency further added.
Moody’s said that after years of the NPA crisis in the Indian banking system, things have changed for the better.
“Solvency in the financial system has strengthened, improving credit conditions which we expect to be sustained as policy settings normalize. Bank provisioning has allowed for the gradual write-off of legacy problem assets over the past few years,” the report said, adding that banks have strengthened their capital positions, pointing to a stronger outlook for credit growth to support the economy.
Now that the Moody’s, which is considered as a holy grail of ratings by the Left in India, has elevated India’s rating, will those who misled the country’s population by peddling fake narratives and indulging in fear-mongering be gracious enough to accept their folly and laud the government for successfully finessing a once-in-a-lifetime crisis and bring the country’s economy back on track or will they continue to act like sore losers clenching their teeth and cursing the Moody’s for improving India’s ratings? The answer to this question is not very hard to guess.
Actor Arvind Trivedi, who played the role of Ravan in the Hindu epic Ramayan passed away. He was 82 years old. He was keeping unwell since past few months and last night suffered a heart attack. His nephew Kaustubh Trivedi confirmed his death.
After his death, condolences started pouring in from his colleagues and fans.
Bahut dukhad Samachar hai ki Hamare Sabke Pyare Arvind bhai (Ravan of Ramayan) Ab Hamare bich Nahin Rahe? Bhagwan Unki Atma ko Shanti De…I am speechless I lost father figure, my guide, well wisher & gentleman … ?? pic.twitter.com/RtB1SgGNMh
Sunil Lahri, who played the role of Lakshman in the same serial said that he lost a father figure and a guide in Arvind Trivedi.
Sad to know about the demise of well known theatre,tv & film actor #ArvindTrivedi ji due to massive heart attack. My heartfelt condolences to his entire family & near ones. ॐ शांति ! ??? pic.twitter.com/4UOHPrvZEd
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, too, took to Twitter to express condolences.
In his career spanning over 40 years, he acted in close to 300 Gujarati and Hindi films. Other than Ramayan, he also acted in ‘Vikram aur Betaal’. He was also a Member of Parliament from 1991 to 1996 from Sabarkantha constituency. He was also the acting chairman of the Censor Board for Film Certification (CBFC) following the resignation of filmmaker Vijay Anand from the post.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Doordarshan had aired the popular Hindu epics Mahabharat and Ramayan across all platforms and topped the ratings, crashing servers.
