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West Bengal bypolls: BJP candidate from Bhabanipur alleges booth jamming by TMC, bombs hurled in Samserganj constituency

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal bypolls: BJP candidate from Bhabanipur alleges booth jamming by TMC, bombs hurled in Samserganj constituency

As voting for the bypolls commenced in three constituencies of West Bengal on Thursday, reports of violence and misconduct have surfaced in the media. 

Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) Bhabanipur candidate Priyanka Tibrewal has accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra of ‘purposely shutting the voting machine to capture the booth.’

The Bhabanipur constituency has garnered sharp attention as the poll result will decide the fate of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee as a Chief Minister. Standing against her from BJP is Tibrewal an advocate by profession who had joined the BJP in the year 2014.

Tibrewal’s candidature was much talked about for two reasons. First, she is one of the petitioners in the plea filed in the Bengal post-poll violence cases, which have led to the Calcutta High Court ordering CBI and SIT probes in the cases. Her petition has also led the high court order for a second autopsy of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar, who was killed in post-poll violence on May 2.

Second, by fielding Tibrewal, BJP has tried to pit a daughter of Bengal against another daughter of Bengal (as Mamata Banerjee calls herself one). 

Bombs hurled in Samserganj

Reportedly, bombs were hurled in West Bengal’s Samserganj just before the polling began. This is despite the tight security measures undertaken at polling booths.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed within 200 metres of the polling booths. There will be a heavy deployment of forces, including quick response teams, in Bhabanipur. Security has also been heightened in the Samserganj constituency.

The voting will continue till 6:30 PM on 30th September and the result will be declared on 3rd October.

As Kejriwal includes ‘patriotism’ in the school curriculum, here is why he should be the first one to take those lessons

Jinit Jain
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As Kejriwal includes ‘patriotism’ in the school curriculum, here is why he should be the first one to take those lessons

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi on Tuesday announced the inclusion of “deshbhakti” or patriotism in the school curriculum to instil a sense of patriotism among students and inspire them to feel proud about their country.

Reportedly, every class — from elementary nursery to higher secondary class 12 — will mandatorily have what AAP has dubbed to be “deshbhakti curriculum” to cultivate patriotic sentiments among students in their formative years. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the patriotism curriculum at an event in Chhatrasal Stadium on September 28 to mark the occasion of the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

As per the so-called deshbhakti curriculum, schools in Delhi are mandated to have one period every day for patriotism studies for students in the nursery to class 8, and classes per week for students studying in classes 9 to 12.

The circular released last week by the Directorate of Education (DoE) said, “Every deshbhakti period shall start with a five-minute ‘Deshbhakti Dhyaan’, where the teacher and students shall practice mindfulness, reflect on their gratitude for the country, freedom fighters, and any five persons that they consider deshbhakts, and pledge their respect for the country.”

Lauding his government’s move to include a curriculum that aimed to engender patriotism among students, Kejriwal said, “They (the students) will be prepared to fulfil their responsibilities and contribute towards the nation’s progress. They will also be prepared in a way that if the need arises, they can lay down their lives for the nation and be willing to give their all to the country.”

While it is admirable of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to roll out a curriculum that emphasizes patriotism and mandates students to take lessons on deshbhakti, he should be the first one to enrol himself in taking those lessons. If Kejriwal’s past antecedents are anything to go by, they indicate patriotism has never been a strong suit of the Delhi CM.

There have been umpteen incidents in the past when Kejriwal’s patriotism has left a lot to be desired. From using the Pulwama terror attack to further his brand of petty politics to the brazen pandering of the Khalistanis to win votes in Punjab to raising aspersions on the calibre of India’s Armed Forces in conducting Surgical Strikes against terrorists, Kejriwal has not been subtle in expressing his disdain for patriotism and nationalistic feelings for India.

Here are some of the occasions that demonstrate why Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal should take the lessons on patriotism first:-

Brazen politicisation of the Pulwama terror attack

On February 14, 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne Islamic terrorist at Lethpora in the Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The attack resulted in the deaths of 40 CRPF personnel. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

At a time when the entire country should have united against the scourge of terrorism that emanates from Pakistan, Kejriwal tried to use the dastardly attack in Pulwama to peddle preposterous conspiracy theories. A couple of months after the attack, Kejriwal took to Twitter to insinuate that the Pulwama attack was carried out by Pakistan at the behest of the Modi government to help PM Modi in the forthcoming General elections in May 2019.

“Pakistan and Imran Khan are openly supporting Modi Ji. It is clear now that Modi Ji has some secret pact wid them. Everyone is asking – did Pakistan kill 40 of our brave soldiers in Pulwama on 14 Feb just before elections to help Modi Ji?” Kejriwal had tweeted.

His political rivalry with the BJP notwithstanding, Kejriwal did not flinch from asserting that the Indian government was working in cahoots with its arch-nemesis Pakistan and was responsible for the killing of 40 CRPF soldiers so that they continue to remain in power after the Lok Sabha elections. This incident demonstrated Arvind Kejriwal’s willingness to throw patriotism to the winds if that helped to discredit his political adversaries.

Proof of Surgical Strikes conducted in PoK after Uri terror attack

Another incident that raised questions on Kejriwal’s patriotic credentials was demanding proof for the Surgical Strikes conducted by the Indian Armed Forces on terror camps located in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in the wake of the Uri terror attack.

In the aftermath of the Surgical Strikes when the nationalist sentiments were high, Kejriwal released a rare video congratulating the Modi government and the Indian Army for avenging the deaths of martyrs in the Uri attack. However, towards the end of his video, Kejriwal sought a piece of evidence to establish that Surgical Strikes indeed happened, cunningly claiming that he is asking for evidence to bust the Pakistani propaganda that refuted the occurrence of any Surgical Strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Delhi CM’s demand for proof was instantly lapped up by Pakistani propagandists to reinforce their narrative that the Surgical Strikes as claimed by India was nothing but a sham. During that time, Pakistan had vigorously denied the occurrence of any surgical strikes in its controlled territory. Pakistan’s denial of the incursion was on expected lines, given that the acceptance of the attack would have been tantamount to a tacit admission of the presence of terrorists at those launch pads and more importantly admission that the Indian forces carried out the attack right under the nose of its Army.

Notably, Pakistani Twitter users had then trended #PakStandsWithKejriwal on Twitter as a mark of support to the AAP supremo for his video raising doubts about the Armed Forces’ claims of having conducted surgical strikes in PoK.

Although Kejriwal’s narrative on Surgical Strikes converged with that of Pakistan, his supporters and other AAP leaders nonetheless continued to raise suspicions over the veracity of the attacks. AAP ran a campaign of sorts to discredit the government by casting aspersions over the authenticity of the operation and seeking corroborating evidence to prove the claims.

However, at a time when he should have resolutely and unconditionally stood behind the Indian Armed Forces and exhibit his patriotism, Kejriwal instead questioned the Army’s claim of conducting Surgical Strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and sought evidence for the same, echoing Pakistani stand on the raid. Perhaps, Kejriwal thought patriotism meant hewing to enemy country’s propaganda and disregarding one’s own Army’s assertions.

Brazen pandering to the Khalistanis

The interests of Khalistanis run counter to that of patriotic Indians. Khalistanis still harbour the dream of hacking off Punjab from India and establish it as a separate sovereign country. This demand has never found popular support among common Sikhs as they feel that their interests are well protected within India. However, this movement has always found support from Pakistan.

Khalistan movement was at its peak during the Indira Gandhi regime with the likes of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale leading an armed struggle. But it slowly fizzled out thanks to nationalist Sikhs in Army and politics, who could save India from another partition.

But in his attempt to win Lok Sabha seats from constituencies in Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal and his party AAP had no qualms in courting Khalistani separatists during the 2014 elections. This revelation was made by none other actor-turned-politician Gul Panag in 2018 when she admitted in a Twitter post that AAP blatantly pandered to Khalistani proponents in the run-up to the 2014 General elections.

Kejriwal and his deputies in AAP had then thought that Khalistani ideologues and supporters held electoral weightage and by ingratiating with them they would be able to brighten their chances of winning Lok Sabha seats on constituencies in the Punjab region. This charm offensive was reciprocated by pro-Khalistan outfits by declaring their support to the AAP during the Lok Sabha elections.

The inclusion of the “deshbhakti curriculum” in the school syllabus in Delhi does not jibe with Kejriwal and AAP’s previously held stance. The Delhi CM now wants students in the city to imbibe the importance of remaining loyal to one’s motherland and be proud of their country, a far cry from what Kejriwal has indulged in all these years. Contrary to what he is preaching, Kejriwal’s behaviour in the past could be termed as unpatriotic at best and treasonous at worse. Therefore, before asking Delhi students to study patriotism, Arvind Kejriwal should himself take those lessons first.

NIA court rejects plea of Sachin Vaze requesting three months house arrest on medical ground

OpIndia Staff
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NIA court rejects plea of Sachin Vaze requesting three months house arrest on medical ground

A Special Court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) headed by A.T. Wankhede on Wednesday rejected a petition of dismissed cop of Maharashtra Police Sachin Vaze where he had requested the court to keep him on house arrest for the next three months. He had requested house arrest as he has undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery recently.

The NIA court allowed him homemade food but it directed the jail authorities to take Sachin Vaze to Taloja jail after he is discharged from the hospital. The court further said that Sachin Vaze will be kept in the jail hospital for a month. The hospital authority too has been asked to inform the court 48 hours before Sachin Vaze is discharged from the hospital.

On September 13, Sachin Vaze had undergone surgery at the Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai. After the bypass surgery, he had filed a petition through his lawyers Sajal Yadav and Aarti Kalekar for three months house arrest, so that he can spend the next three months at his home. He had pleaded that he has undergone a complex heart surgery with five grafts and he is likely to be discharged from the hospital on September 28. But owing to the unhygienic condition of jail there is a high chance of infection hence he should be kept in house arrest.

The court, however, during the course of the hearing had deferred his discharge from the hospital since the court wanted a response from Taloja jail where he was taken after his arrest.

Sachin Vaze, the dismissed inspector of Mumbai police was arrested by NIA for his role in Antilia bomb scare and the murder of Mansukh Hiran murder case.

In his plea he had cited medical grounds as well as the case of alleged Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao. Sachin Vaze maintained that Varavara Rao, arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case, was given bail for six months on medical grounds by the Bombay High Court.

NIA opposed the application saying the case of Varavara Rao and Sachin Vaze are quite different. The NIA said that investigation against Sachin Vaze has been completed and a charge-sheet filed. Hence in such a situation, judicial custody can’t be converted into a house arrest.

NIA said Taloja jail hospital is equipped with facilities that will take the best care of him. It also raised apprehension that Sachin Vaze may abscond from house arrest.

‘Get well soon Kapil Sibal’: Congress workers protest against Congress leader Kapil Sibal after he questioned party leadership

OpIndia Staff
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‘Get well soon Kapil Sibal’: Congress workers protest against Congress leader Kapil Sibal after he questioned party leadership

Hours after senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal criticised the party leadership over various issues including the handling of the internal conflict in the party in Punjab, members of the Congress party protested against him. The party workers have accused him of allying with BJP for his statements earlier today at a press conference.

Congress workers from Chandi Chowk gathered outside Kapil Sibal’s house in large numbers in the evening to protest against him. They were carrying placards saying ‘get well soon Kapil Sibal’. The protesters said that the party made him cabinet minister, gave him important roles, but he has done nothing for the party. They alleged that Sibal does not talk to ordinary party workers, and he has no contact with voters.

“He is not talking about reforms, but he is doing dalali of BJP”, said an angry Congress worker at the protest. He alleged that Kapil Sibal leaks messages sent by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to Amit Shah.

Congress leader Ajay Maken has also slammed Kapil Sibal for his remarks. He said that Everyone in the party is being heard. Ajay Maken said that Sonia Gandhi had ensured that Kapil Sibal becomes a minister in Union Cabinet despite not having organizational background. He advised Sibal and the G-23 Congress leaders that they shouldn’t degrade the organization that gave them an identity.

Congress workers protested against their own party leader Kapil Sibal after he had said that the G-23 group within the Congress party is not Ji Huzoor 23, implying they will continue to question the party leadership. Criticising the delay in appointing a full time party president, Sibal had said, “In our party, there is no president. So we don’t know who is taking these decisions. We know and yet we don’t know.”

He had said that he and other G-23 leaders will not leave the party but want to strengthen it. Kapil Sibal was one of the 23 Congress leaders who had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi questioning the way the party was being led. “I am speaking on behalf of my personal capacity and like-minded people who had written the letter last year. I stand here with a heavy heart. I am a part of a party that has a glorifying past. I can’t see the situation it is at the moment,” Sibal said in the press conference today.

Sibal had said that absence of a leader in the party has led to the problems it is facing in Punjab and elsewhere. “There is no president. The demand is growing to call CWC to have some dialogue,” he said. Sibal had also said that the unstable situation in Punjab is worrying from the national security point of view, as the state borders Pakistan. “What’s happening in Punjab, which is just 300 kilometres away from Pakistan border, and we know of the situation which has transpired in the state with regards to insurgency and the ISI,” he said.

Taliban regime requests India to resume flight services between India and Afghanistan, writes to DGCA saying normalcy has returned

OpIndia Staff
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Taliban regime requests India to resume flight services between India and Afghanistan, writes to DGCA saying normalcy has returned

Afghanistan under the new Taliban regime has sent a letter to the government of India requesting to resume flight service between the two countries. The Acting Minister for Civil Aviation and Transport of Afghanistan, Alhaj Hamidullah Akhundzada wrote a letter on September 7 in this regard, addressed to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

DGCA chief Arun Kumar has confirmed having received the letter adding that the ministry of Civil Aviation will take a decision whether to resume the fight or not.

Pakistan and Iran have started operating flight services to Kabul. Out of diplomatic and security concerns, the Narendra Modi government doesn’t seem to be in a hurry. India also doesn’t recognize the Taliban regime.

The Indian government had suspended its flight following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban on August 16. The last Air India flight from Kabul to Delhi on August 15 had carried 129 passengers. The air space of Afghanistan was declared uncontrolled, and the Civil Aviation Minister of Afghanistan had issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) that the Kabul airspace had been released to the military.  

Now in the letter sent to DGCA, the Taliban regime claims that normalcy has returned hence the flight service can now be resumed.

“The intention of this letter is to keep the smooth passenger movement between two countries based on the signed MoU and our national carriers (Ariana Afghan Airline and Kam Air) aimed to commence their scheduled flights. Therefore, the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority requests you to facilitate their commercial flights,” the letter reads.

The Taliban regime is seeking resumption of flights of two of its airline services namely Kam Air and Arina Afghan Airline between Kabul and Delhi.

“As you are well informed that recently the Kabul Airport was damaged and dysfunctional by American troops before their withdrawal. By technical assistance of our Qatar Brother, the Airport became operational once again and a NOTAM in this regard was issued on September 6,” Akhundzada has explained.

China’s debt-trap diplomacy? BRI participant countries owe over 385 billion USD to China in hidden debt, study reveals

Jinit Jain
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China’s debt-trap diplomacy? BRI participant countries owe over 385 billion USD to China in hidden debt, study reveals

China has long been known for using its financial clout to further “debt-trap diplomacy”, a policy that encompasses saddling borrowing nations with excessive credit with the intention of extracting economic or political concessions from the debtor country when it finds it increasingly difficult to meet its debt repayment obligations.

Now, a report published by AidData says China’s Belt and Road Initiative has left a large number of countries burdened with “hidden debts” to the tune of $385 bn.

The report published by AidData, an international development research lab based at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, further says that scores of countries underreported their financial liabilities linked to China for many years now, resulting in mounting “hidden debts”, or confidential liabilities that the countries might be obligated to pay.

AidData has parsed through more than 13,000 aid and debt-financed projects worth more than $843bn across 165 countries for a period of 18 years ending 2017 to arrive at the conclusion that Beijing has been stealthily deploying its “debt-trap diplomacy” where China uses its financial supremacy to tie smaller countries in the allure of lucrative loans and then using the leverage to bend them to its will.

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

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

The discovery of China’s practice of saddling countries with outsize loans in order to exert its influence on them has come at a time when the pace of lending on the Belt and Road Initiative has hit roadblocks, partly because of the United States’s initiative in leading the G7 effort to undercut Beijing’s hegemony in international development finance.

However, the report underscores the enduring consequences of a sharp transition since Xi Jinping unveiled the BRI plan after coming to power in 2013.

The marked shift in Beijing’s lending strategy after Xi Jinping was elected as the President of China

China had previously directed its lending to sovereign borrowers such as central banks. But under Xi Jinping’s leadership, that changed fundamentally. As of now, more than 70 per cent of China’s foreign debt comprises loans extended to state-owned companies, state-owned banks, special purpose vehicles, joint ventures and private sector institutions.

The research estimated that 40 lower-to-middle income countries(LMIC) have debt exposure to China that is higher than 10 per cent of their national gross domestic product(GDP). On average, the LMIC government is under-reporting repayment obligations to China by an equivalent of nearly 6 per cent of GDP.

“These debts usually do not appear in the government balance sheets in developing countries. The critical point is that most of them have safeguard against explicit or implicit forms of host government liability protection. That’s equivalent to erasing the difference between private and public debt,” Parks said in an interview with Financial Times.

China’s plan of pressurising borrowing countries that are struggling to repay their loans to cough up their physical assets

The research has come at a time when there is a looming fear among many countries about China moving to seize their assets in case they default in their loan repayment. Earlier last year, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said China’s banks were not giving them ‘breathing space’ even in the pandemic.

The exorbitantly high outstanding amount that the Maldives owes to China led Mr Nasheed to worry if the country could face the same fate as Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port. Earlier in 2018, China made Sri Lanka cough up the Hambantota port, miles off the shores of its rival India, and a critical base to monitor the Indo-Pacific trade route.

Similar to the case of the Maldives, the former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa had taken enormous loans from China that the succeeding government in Sri Lanka struggled to square accounts with. As a result, after tough negotiations and months of pressure from Beijing, the Sri Lankan government handed over the port and 15,000 acres of land nearby to China for 99 years.

Not just physical but China is focused on collateralising liquid assets too: Brad Parks

Parks, however, revealed that though China has developed an image of a country using its loans to collateralise physical and illiquid assets, the research suggests that they are also involved in collateralising liquid assets.

“It is true that Chinese state-owned lenders have a strong preference for collateralisation: we find 44 per cent of the overall lending portfolio was collateralised, and when the stakes are really high, that’s when they turn to collateral,” he said.

Park says China is asking borrowers to maintain a minimum cash balance in an offshore account, or an escrow account, that is controlled by Beijing. So when the borrower fails to repay loans, the lender claws back the amount through such offshore accounts.

African countries who are part of China’s BRI cancel projects blaming China’s lack of transparency and shoddy work of Chinese companies

Countries that have a financial relationship with China are not just wary of losing their physical or liquid assets but also about the shoddy quality of work the Chinese companies are doing on their soil. This is the reason why a great many African countries are showing stiff resistance to Chinese companies, initiating action against Chinese investment and cancelling existing Chinese projects.

According to the Singapore Post, the low-grade work of the Chinese companies is to blame for the cancellation of a spate of projects.

John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies’ China-Africa Research Initiative report said that China signed 1,141 loan commitments with various African governments and state enterprises which were worth USD 153 billion. This was done during the period 2000 to 2019, according to the Singapore Post.

Most of these Chinese projects in Africa are getting suspended or abandoned by the African countries amidst the Covid-19 crisis and the inability of these African countries to pay back the huge loans taken from China. Hence in order to cut debt burdens, these countries decided to shut down the Chinese projects, most of which fall under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative 2013.

As Congress plunges deeper into crisis, the old guard wakes up from the dead to give gyaan yet again

Nirwa Mehta
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As Congress plunges deeper into crisis, the old guard wakes up from the dead to give gyaan yet again

The Indian National Congress is evolving into a case study on how an enterprise built over the years can be ruined if the reins are given in incompetent hands. Not that anyone’s complaining. But now even ‘zero loss‘ Kapil Sibal has spoken up and again called for reforms within party which means it is no longer ‘zero loss’ for Congress.

Past ten days we saw how the Gandhi siblings, in their attempt to get Punjab Congress leaders, ex-CM Captain Amarinder Singh and state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, resolve their differences, ended up pushing the election-bound border state into a major crisis.

As a wise man once said, aap chronology samajhiye:

18th September, 2021: Captain Amarinder Singh resigns as Punjab CM. He says he has never felt more humiliated.

Speculations are rife on who would be the new CM. Capt Singh categorically says Sidhu cannot be the CM of a border state, especially because of his close friendship with none other than Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa.

20th September, 2021: Charanjit Singh Channi is made Punjab CM. Suddenly it was all about Congress’ masterstroke on getting a ‘Dalit’ Chief Minister. Do note, usually ‘liberals’ would rise above and beyond the caste politics, but not when it is Congress.

Same day, the Gandhis go to Shimla for a vacation.

As the saying goes, ‘aag lage basti mein, main apni masti mein‘.

Sidhu takes chartered flights, goes to Gurudwaras and does all the thang with the new Punjab CM in tow. Everything seems like one big happy family.

28th September, 2021: 10 days after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned as Punjab CM, Sidhu resigns as party chief. This when Capt Singh was on his way to Delhi amid speculations he might meet BJP leaders. Along with Sidhu, many Punjab Congress leaders also ‘resign’ in solidarity with him.

Same day, the Gandhis conclude their Shimla vacation and return to Delhi.

In ten days, Punjab went from a stable government to ‘we have no clue what is happening’ government.

As this report is being published, Capt Amarinder Singh has just reached Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence to meet him.

Punjab not the only mess, unfortunately for Congress

Recently, a very seasoned Congress leader Sushmita Dev quit the party and joined Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Former Goa Chief Minister and another senior Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro too joined the TMC today. Even Rahul Gandhi fan Saket Gokhale ended up joining the TMC formally instead of Congress. No one really wants to be associated with a sinking ship. Except some whom perhaps even TMC won’t take.

Gujarat’s MLA Jignesh Mewani joined Congress, but only ‘in principle’ because if he officially joins the political party he ceases to be an ‘Independent MLA’ and well, he still has one more year left in his 5 year term. Another person to join the Congress yesterday was Kanhaiya Kumar from the CPI(M). Soon Congress will end up being more left than even the left parties and only person with any semblance of sanity might be the Congress mouthpiece journalist and Rahul Gandhi fan Sanjukta Basu. Because even when Congress’ future appears darker than my sense of humour sometimes, Basu is still of the belief the Punjab crisis might be part of a bigger plan.

Maybe it’s all planned.

Ship of Theseus

This makes one wonder, if all the Congress leaders leave the party and form other parties, like how Sharad Pawar made Nationalist Congress Party and Mamata Banerjee made Trinamool Congress, does the original Congress still remain ‘Congress’? And does that mean other parties which are created out of former Congress leaders, do they end up being Congress themselves? And then if for some reason, all these former Congress leaders merge with Congress, will it still remain Congress or turn into NCP/TMC?

What next for Congress?

One never knows. But the G-23, the old guard of Congress has again appealed for change in leadership. Their soft-nudge to get The Gandhis to think beyond self and find a more competent party president. But the young’uns are still rooting for Rahul Gandhi and every few weeks pass resolutions to get him to become party president immediately. Of course he is best thing ever to hit the party since Indira Gandhi’s faction Congress (I), created in 1978, was declared rightful heir to the original party that was created in 1885.

But as things stand now, all we can do is grab our popcorns and see how Congress fast-tracks its way into oblivion.

Captain Amarinder Singh meets home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, fuels speculations of joining the BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Captain Amarinder Singh meets home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, fuels speculations of joining the BJP

Amid the political crisis in Punjab Congress even after the appointment of a new CM, former chief minister and Congress leader Captain Amarinder reached the residence of union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi today. This meeting has led to the rise in speculations that Amarinder Singh is going to join the BJP ahead of assembly polls next year.

Reportedly, Amarinder Singh has said that he has kept all his options, which means he has not ruled out joining BJP. After he was sidelined by the party, it is being speculated that he may join either BJP or AAP, or he may form a new party. But as assembly elections in Punjab are just months away, the possibility of forming a new party is remote.

If Amarinder Singh decides to join the BJP, it will have an impact on the ongoing protests against the farm laws. It is known that he was one of the main architects of the anti-Modi protests in disguise as farmer protests, and if he joins the BJP, this matter will be one of the agendas of discussions with the BJP top leadership.

Amarinder Singh had resigned from the post of chief minister on September 18 saying that he can’t continue with the humiliation he was facing in the party. He had taken the decision after the party had called for a meeting of the Congress legislative party in Punjab without informing the CM, who is also the leader of the legislative party.

Earlier, the party had snubbed him by appointing Navjot Singh Sidhu as the president of Punjab Congress in July despite opposition from Amarinder Singh. However, unhappy with the selection of ministers in the new Charanjit Singh Channi government, Sidhu had resigned from the post of Pradesh Congress chief yesterday, which the party high command has not accepted yet.

Captured Pakistani terrorist sips Indian tea, says he was paid by ISI and trained by LeT to infiltrate into India

OpIndia Staff
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Captured Pakistani terrorist sips Indian tea, says he was paid by ISI and trained by LeT to infiltrate into India

On September 26, the Indian Army arrested a LeT terrorist identified as Ali Babar Patra. He was part of the group of six terrorists who attempted to infiltrate on the intervening night of September 18 and September 19 in the Uri Sector along the LoC. In its statement, Army said that the LeT had attempted to push six terrorists from the Jabri post near the LoC inside India.

As per the statement, four of the terrorists ran back, and two terrorists managed to enter the Indian side. Multiple search operations were launched in the suspected areas to find the terrorists. Gateway routes were blocked. On September 25, a patrol team established contact with the terrorists approx 800 meters inside the LoC.

On September 26 afternoon, 33-year-old Pakistani terrorist Atiq ur Rehman alias Qari Anas, from Punjab (Pakistan), was killed. The second terrorist, identified as Ali Babar Patra from Okara, Punjab (Pakistan), appealed to surrender. He was captured alive.

India TV reported that terrorist Babar exposed Pakistan in front of the camera. In his confession, he said that he was sent to India for a Uri-like attack. He further said that he was trained by the Pakistani Army. He was one of the nine terrorists who got training for three months in Pakistan.

Ali Babar added that Pakistani agency ISI gave him PKR 20,000 to join Lashkar-e-Taiba. He had met ISI and Laskar terrorists while working in a factory. He further added that Lashkar prepares the poor and orphans for Jihad. He was told during the training that everyone in Kashmir was oppressed, but he found everyone happy here.

He said, “I request the Pakistan Army and ISI to call me back. Indian Army treated me well. No offence was committed against me.” He also praised the tea that Army had provided him.

Statement by Indian Army

Major General Virendra Vats said that the Army had arrested a 19-year-old Lashkar terrorist Ali Babar Patra. Ali Babar was trained by Lashkar for 3 months to become a terrorist. The purpose of infiltration was to initiate an attack like Uri. Major Vats further added that the terrorist pleaded to surrender.

The Army official added, “The operation against the terrorists went on for nine days. It started when they tried to infiltrate on September 18. There were six terrorists, out of which four ran back, but two managed to enter. One terrorist was killed on September 26, but the second started pleading for surrender.”

He further added that the captured terrorist told that he was here to supply some items in Patan, but it was not true. The main aim was to initiate a terror attack just like the Uri attack of 2016. The Army officer stated that infiltration inside LoC is not possible without the help of the Pakistani Army. There has been a lot of activity on the Terror Launch Pads recently. In the last week, four terrorists have been killed while one has been captured, the statement by the Army added.

RTI query filed to get details of ‘namaz spots’ at public places decided by ‘Hindu Muslim mutual understanding’ as claimed by Gurugram Police

OpIndia Staff
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RTI query filed to get details of ‘namaz spots’ at public places decided by ‘Hindu Muslim mutual understanding’ as claimed by Gurugram Police

An RTI query has been filer after Gurugram Police in a Twitter reply had claimed that Muslims were allowed to offer Namaz at public places on a mutual discussion between Hindus and Muslims. The police had dismissed the allegations of encroachment by calling the land a ‘mutually agreeable Namaz spot’ after residents in Gurugram raised their objection to Namaz being offered in public places causing inconvenience to locals.

Speaking with OpIndia, Akshit singh, Founding member of Hindu IT cell said that as per the rulings of Madras High Court in 2018 had banned the prayers in public places. Following this, Advocate Abhishek Sharma of Gurugram district Court and also a member of the Hindu IT Cell has now filed an RTI seeking details of these namaz spots and the representatives of communities who were part of the ‘mutual agreements’. In his letter to the Public Information Officer, Sharma has also sought information on action taken against the encroachers.

RTI filed by Advocate Abhishek Sharma

Advocate Abhishek Sharma has sought the list of the alleged ‘namaz spots’ as claimed by Gurugram Police and details of representatives from both Hindu and Muslim communities who permitted the use of the land in question for namaz. He has also sought information on when these ‘namaz spots’ at public places were decided.

RTI filed by Advocate Abhishek Sharma

BJP leader writes to Gurugram administration

In the meanwhile, BJP leader Raman Malik has also written to the DC of Gurugram seeking the details sought in the RTI query. In a letter written to Gurugram DC Dr. Yash Garg, he has requested details like organisations and people representing Hindus who had attended the meetings, name and addresses of people who had consented to namaz on public places in their area, details of approved namaz and departments which had given the authority to designate public places as namaz spots.

Raman Malik also asked the administration whether public land can be given for perpetual religious activities. He wanted to know under which law this has been allowed, and which department gave the consent and when. He also requested to furnish details of the total area allowed as namaz spots, dimensions and a list of such namaz spots.

He further asked, if Namaz is to performed at public places, what is the need of Mosque, Madrasa and Waqf-Board lands. He also informed that as per the Islamic holy book, offering Namaz on the road and parking spaces is not allowed.

At last, the BJP leader asked if Namaz spots can be allowed on Fridays, whether Hindus, Buddhists and Jains can use public places to offer prayers on various days of the week.

The controversy

In a video that went viral on social media recently, the residents of Gurugram had raised objections to Namaz being offered in public places causing inconvenience to locals. 

A man protesting against the encroachment was heard saying, “We pray Hanuman Chalisa at the temples but these people gather around here like this, misbehaving with our daughters and sisters, we are scared of them.”

“Ever since this namaz on the roads has started, incidents of chain snatching, eve-teasing have increased. This illegal namaz on roads should be stopped,” a local resident said. “We will not let illegal masjid or mazar come up here,” informed another resident.

What flared the controversy was the arrest of a man who raised his voice against the encroachment for namaz.  

To justify their action, Gurugram Police in a reply to a Twitter user who had shared the video had said, “The Namaz spots at public places have been decided by both Hindu and Muslim communities after mutual understanding and this place is one among them. Maintaining communal harmony and peace is our utmost responsibility and we will ensure that.”

Several users took objection to Gurugram Police’s reply. Netizens questioned as to who were the representatives who decided to allot a public place to Muslims for their namaz, and who chose them to represent all Hindus and Muslims. 

However, the reply by Gurugram Police’s Twitter handle has been pulled down now. 

Deleted Tweet by Gurugram Police

The only reply visible says, “The above incident is already in cognisance of Gurugram police and suitable preventative action has already been taken by us. We request the people to pay no heed to any ill intentioned rumour.”

This is not the first instance of Namaz being offered at a public spot despite the presence of a mosque in the vicinity. In May 2018, too, namaz was read in public space at as many as 76 locations in Gurugram under heavy police arrangement amid protests by people against the same.

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