Home Blog Page 3849

‘Arsonists disguised as fire-fighters’: India slaps Pakistan in UN General Assembly using ‘first right of reply’ after Imran Khan’s speech

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Arsonists disguised as fire-fighters’: India slaps Pakistan in UN General Assembly using ‘first right of reply’ after Imran Khan’s speech

On Saturday (September 25), Indian diplomat Sneha Dubey lambasted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue at the United National General Assembly (UNGA). The Indian diplomat used India’s first right to reply after Imran Khan made several allegations against India in his speech at the UNGA.

In his virtual address [pdf] at the UN on Friday (September 24), Imran Khan had alleged, “The worst and most pervasive form of Islamophobia now rules India. The hate-filled ‘Hindutva’ ideology, propagated by the fascist RSS-BJP regime, has unleashed a reign of fear and violence against India’s 200 million-strong Muslim community. Mob lynching by cow vigilantes; frequent pogroms, such as the one in New Delhi last year; discriminatory citizenship laws to purge India of Muslims; and a campaign to destroy mosques across India and obliterate its Muslim heritage and history, are all part of this criminal enterprise.”

Khan further claimed that the Indian government had been mulling a ‘final solution’ to resolve the 70-year-dispute through ‘illegal and unilateral measures. The Pakistani Prime Minister alleged that India had captured senior Kashmiri separatists, abducted 1300 young Kashmiris, imposed lockdown and killed 100s of people in fake encounters. “We have unveiled a detailed dossier on gross and systematic violations of human rights by the Indian Security Forces in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This repression is accompanied by illegal efforts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory, and transform it from a Muslim majority into a Muslim minority,” he said.

The Pakistani Prime Minister blamed the Indian State of ‘barbarity’ and ‘forcible snatching of the dead body of separatist Syed Ali Geelani. “Devoid of any legal or moral sanction, this action was even against the basic norms of human decency,” he went on with his outlandish claims. “Sadly, the BJP government has intensified repression in Kashmir and continues to vitiate the environment by these barbaric acts. The onus remains on India to create a conducive environment for meaningful and result-oriented engagement with Pakistan,” Imran Khan concluded.

Response of Diplomat Sneha Dubey to Pakistani PM Imran Khan

On Saturday (September 25), Indian diplomat and First Secretary Sneha Dubey exercised the ‘Right to reply’ and demolished the allegations levelled against India by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. She began by slamming Imran Khan for raking up India’s internal matter i.e Kashmir on a global platform. Accusing the Pakistani Prime Minister of spreading falsehoods and tarnishing India’s image, Dubey added that Pakistan is an arsonist living under the garb of a firefighter.

“While such statements deserve our collective contempt and sympathy for the mindset of the person who utters falsehood repeatedly, I am taking the floor to set the record straight. We keep hearing that Pakistan is a ‘victim of terrorism. This is the country which is an arsonist disguising itself as a firefighter. Pakistan nurtures terrorists in their backyard in the hope that they will only harm their neighbours. Our region, and in fact the entire world, has suffered because of their policies. On the other hand, they are trying to cover up sectarian violence in their country as acts of terror,” she remarked.

Sneha Dubey reiterated that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and asked Pakistan to immediately vacate its occupied territory (PoK). She pointed out how Imran Khan had misused global platforms to peddle anti-India propaganda while harbouring homegrown terrorists at the same time. The Indian diplomat emphasised how slain terrorist such as Osama bin Laden was found in Abbottabad in Pakistan.

“Even today, Pakistan leadership glorify him as a martyr. Regrettably, even today we heard the leader of Pakistan trying to justify acts of terror. Such defence of terrorism is unacceptable in the modern world. However, it is for Islamabad to work sincerely towards creating a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible actions to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross border terrorism against India in any manner,” she added. Dubey said that Pakistan has the highest number of UN-designated terrorists.

While speaking about the atrocities on dissenters and religious minorities, she concluded, “This is a regime where anti-Semitism is normalised by its leadership and even justified…Dissenting voices are muzzled daily, and enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings are well documented…Pluralism is a concept which is very difficult to understand for Pakistan which constitutionally prohibits its minorities from aspiring for high offices of the State. The least they could do is introspect before exposing themselves to ridicule on the world stage.”

Right of reply at the UN

At the United Nations, delegates are allowed to make two interventions on a topic during meetings. This is known as the right of reply. India used the ‘first right of reply’ means it was the first intervention made by the Indian representative at the UN responding to Imran Khan’s speech. India can present a second reply using the second right of reply, if it so desires. According to UN rules, the first reply should be limited to 10 minutes, while a maximum of 5 minutes is allowed for the second reply.

Enforcement Directorate issues fresh summon to Maharashtra minister Anil Parab for questioning in Rs 100 Cr bribery-extortion racket

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Enforcement Directorate issues fresh summon to Maharashtra minister Anil Parab for questioning in Rs 100 Cr bribery-extortion racket

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh summon to Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra transport minister Anil Parab for questioning in the money laundering case registered against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and others.

The 56 years old Anil Parab, who also holds an additional portfolio of parliamentary affairs in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by chief minister Uddhav Thackery, has been directed to appear before the south Mumbai office of ED on September 28.

ED on September 6 had also called Regional Transport Office (RTO) officer Bajrang Kharmate for questioning in this case, who is said to be close to the minister.

This is the second summon the ED has issued to Anil Parab. The ED had issued him the first summon on August 31, but he had declined to appear citing official engagements.

The ED wants to question transport minister Anil Parab in connection with the Rs 100 crore bribery cum extortion racket in the Maharashtra police establishment as alleged by former police commissioner Param Bir Singh. The Bombay High Court had asked the CBI to probe the allegations of corruption that had led to the resignation of Anil Deshmukh as home minister in April.

The name of Anil Parab has surfaced among key conspirators of this scam. The disgraced former cop Sachin Vaze in his letter to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had named ministers Anil Parab and Anil Deshmukh besides others for running an extortion racket, alleging that he was asked to collect extortion money from businesses.  

Sachin Vaze had claimed that in the month of July/August 2020, he was called to the official bungalow of Anil Parab. During the meeting, Anil Parab told Sachin Vaze to extort Rs 50 crores from officials of Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) to end an inquiry. Sachin Vaze further stated that in January 2021, Anil Parab once again called him at his official bungalow and asked to look into the fraudulent contractors listed with BMC. Anil Parab asked him to collect at least Rs 2 crores each from 50 such contractors.

Later, Param Bir Singh had confirmed that Sachin Vaze had informed him about the same after he was removed from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner.

In the letter, Sachin Vaze had claimed that Bajrang Kharmate handled transfer posting related work for Anil Parab. Last month, ED carried out searches at premises Bajrang Kharmate in Pune.

This three-time Shiv Sena MLA, who is a lawyer by profession, was inducted into the MVA cabinet in December 2019.

Video of Bhim Army’s woman state president Seema Singh threatening to bomb Yogi Adityanath goes viral, police files a case: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Video of Bhim Army’s woman state president Seema Singh threatening to bomb Yogi Adityanath goes viral, police files a case: Details

Social media platforms were recently awash with a video of Bhim Army’s UP woman state president Seema Singh, who is seen hurling invectives at chief minister Yogi Adityanath and threatening to blow him up with a bomb. In the video, the woman was also seen threatening to string up SP and DSP of UP Police at the crossroad. The video has since then gone viral on various social media platforms and has evoked sharp responses from people, who demanded strict action against the Bhim Army functionary.

Soon after the video was widely shared on the internet, Bareilly police took cognisance of the viral clip and initiated action against Seema Singh. A case has been filed against her at Sirauli police station and an investigation has been initiated. Inspector KK Verma says that a case was registered against Seema Singh on the night of 20 September and a probe is underway.

In the video, Seema can be heard repeatedly referring to a person named Bunty, whose release she had sought from the police on several occasions. She says she was compelled to make this video because the police have refused to heed her. As per a report published in Dainik Jagran, a minor scuffle between the children of Bunty and Mahesh living in Sirauli town escalated into a full-blown fight between the two families. When the police came to know about the clashes, they challaned the people of both sides for breaching the peace. According to the police, on the same day, a woman named Seema Singh, who claimed to be a woman state president of Bhim Army, had recommended Bunty to be released over the phone.

However, the police paid no heed to Seema’s phone call and did not release Bunty. After the incident, Seema created a video venting her spleen against the UP Police and threatening Yogi Adityanath with dire consequences.

“…the police have directly arrested Bunty. How long will we bear all this? We are not going to tolerate police high-handedness. What is this happening in UP? No complaint, no action against Manuvadis. On the contrary, the police acted against Bunty. How long will this dictatorship last? Others might suck it up, but I won’t. I am not going to tolerate this. I will break all the stars on the shoulders of SP, DSP and hang them in the middle of a road, and Yogi Adityanath Baba, I am not Seema Singh if I don’t blow up a bomb in your lungi. I am the woman state president of Bhim Army. Take note of my face or stop atrocities on Dalits. Yogi Adityanath, I will remove all your Thakurgiri. This is a dictatorship. Note this face. In the future, you should pay attention to who I am,” she said.

Seema says, “Within 6 months If I don’t get you killed and buried, my name is not Seema Singh. I will avenge everything you have done to us. Neither can you act against the killers, nor against the rapists, all you could do is use your power against a woman. All your Thakurgiri will end once you come in front of me. My name is Seema Singh. I belong to a lion’s family, not from a vulture family. I am not like you, who kills others by taking the help of women. If you are a human, behave like one. We are Bhim soldiers. We know how to talk with respect and make others do the same. We are lions. You can try intimidating us but we won’t be frightened.”

From 5 Bidens in India to PM Modi’s 5 Ts, QUAD, COVID and more: Here are 4 points discussed when PM Modi and President Biden met

OpIndia Staff
-
0
From 5 Bidens in India to PM Modi’s 5 Ts, QUAD, COVID and more: Here are 4 points discussed when PM Modi and President Biden met

On Friday (September 24), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden spoke for about 20 minutes and attended over an hour-long meet in Washington. This was the first in-person meeting between the duo since Biden was elected the President of the United States in January this year. The meeting was attended by Antony Blinken (US State Secretary), EAM S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval and others.

The Quest for the missing ‘Biden’

During their meeting, Joe Biden recalled receiving a letter in 1972 from an individual named Biden in Mumbai. At that time, the incumbent US President was 28-years-old and was sworn in as a Senator. He regretted not being able to follow up on the ‘Biden’ who had supposedly married an Indian woman and settled in Mumbai. But, he added that the Indian media had then claimed about the existence of 5 such Bidens in the country.

Soon after, the US President clarified, “I said jokingly that I found out there’s a Captain George Biden who was a captain in the East Indian tea company…The end result was that he (George Biden) apparently stayed and married an Indian woman. And I have never been able to track it down… so the whole purpose of this meeting is to help me figure this out…” In a jovial tone, PM Modi said that he had brought all the necessary documents to help trace his lost family.

“You talked about Biden surnames. You had mentioned it to me earlier too. I tried to hunt for the documents and I have come with some documents. Maybe those documents can be of some use,” PM Modi added to the humour. The reporters at the Oval Office burst out into fits of laughter. “I am relieved,” Biden emphasised. Reportedly, the incumbent US President had made similar claims during his trip to India’s financial capital in 2013. He was also seen reiterating the same remarks at another event in Washington in 2015.

Shared values of democracy and diversity

Ahead of his scheduled meeting with PM Modi, Joe Biden informed that he would be hosting the Indian Prime Minister in the White House. “This morning I’m hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for a bilateral meeting. I look forward to strengthening the deep ties between our two nations, working to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, and tackling everything from COVID-19 to climate change,” his tweet read.

The US President had emphasised during the meeting that both India and the United States are capable of resolving global challenges. Joe Biden added that the relationship with India will get tighter, closer and stronger. “Back in 2006, I had said that by 2020 India and the US will be among the closest nations in the world,” he remarked. Joe Biden also underlined that the partnership between the two countries is based on the commitment to upholding democracy and diversity.

PM Modi had tweeted, “Had an outstanding meeting with Joe Biden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change.”

PM Modi-Biden meet: Mahatma Gandhi and PM Modi’s 5Ts

Given that the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is round the corner, Joe Biden emphasised the importance of the values upheld by the ‘Father of the Nation.’ He added that the message of Gandhi towards tolerance, respect and non-violence. While the US President lay emphasis on Quad, climate change and Covid-19, PM Modi talked about the 5Ts i.e. Talent, Technology, Trade, Trusteeship and Tradition. He pointed out that the upcoming decade will bring about transformation in India-US relations and joint commitment to traditions and democratic values.

PM Modi remarked, “There are more than four million Indian Americans who are participating in the journey of the progress of America. When I look at the importance of this decade, and the role that is going to be played by this talent of the Indian Americans, I find that the people to people talent will play a greater role and Indian talent will be a full partner in this relationship. And I see that your contribution is going to be very important in this.”

The Indian Prime Minister talked about ensuring stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Highlighting the significance of technology, he pointed out the need for utilising the opportunities for the benefit of humanity. “Between India and the United States, the trade will continue to assume importance, and we find that the trade between our two countries is actually complementary. There are things that you have and there are things that we have, and then we in fact complement each other. I find that the area of trade during this decade is also going to be tremendously important,” he said on the issue of bilateral trade.

PM Modi-Biden meet: Fighting Climate Change and significance of Quad

The Indian Prime Minister also emphasised on the need to protect the planet. Citing the example of the Father of the Nation, PM Modi remarked, “Mahatma Gandhi always used to talk about the principle of trusteeship, trusteeship of the planet. It means that the planet that we have, we have to bequeath it to the following generations, and this sentiment of trusteeship is going to assume more and more importance globally, but also between the relations between India and the United States.”

While speaking on Quad, Joe Biden said that the United States, Japan, India and Australia share the same world view and are focused on resolving key challenges with a common vision. The US President, in this context, said, “Our vaccine initiative is on track to produce an additional 1 billion doses of vaccine in India to boost global supply.” PM Modi added that the Quad would play the role for global good through positive thinking and approach.

Left historians whitewashed 1921 Malabar genocide of Hindus as a peasant uprising: What Yogi Adityanath said about Jihadis shaming mankind

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Left historians whitewashed 1921 Malabar genocide of Hindus as a peasant uprising: What Yogi Adityanath said about Jihadis shaming mankind

On the completion of 100 years of the infamous 1921 Malabar massacre of Hindus by Moplah Muslims, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath spoke on a program hosted by a Youtube channel named Pnachjanya. The UP CM remembered how over 10,000 Hindus were brutally slaughtered in one of the worst communal genocides recorded in the annals of Indian history.

It was rather unfortunate that the Moplah genocide of Hindus and the Khilafat movement leading up to it is shamelessly whitewashed. Some named it the Moplah Rebellion, while others called it a repercussion and effect of Muslims’ wrath over the Khilafat movement’s failure. These people claimed that the Zamindaars tortured Muslims in Malabar in 1921. If this was the case then why thousands of Hindus were massacred. Is it only because the Hindus refused to convert, Yogi questioned.

Yogi Adityanath furthered said that the communal pogrom was originally appropriated as a peasant uprising by Marxist and leftist historians to suit their ideological narratives and requirements and to win over a large organised vote-bank for the Left parties. He added that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was one of the first ones to describe the Malabar Massacre as an anti-Hindu genocide through his book Moplah, which became hugely popular when it was published in 1924.

Even Dr B.R. Ambedkar has provided a detailed account of the incident in ‘Pakistan or The Partition of India’ and strongly condemned the brutal and unrestrained barbarism which was perpetrated freely by the Moplas upon the Hindus. 

Yogi Adityanath further informed that during those days there was a lot of anti-Hindu sentiments in Southern India which was further stirred by the politicians supporting the Khilafat movement, resulting in the infamous Malabar genocide of Hindus by Moplah Muslims.

Theosophist and one of the most respected figures in India’s struggle for freedom during the 20th century, Annie Besant had also written about the barbarity inflicted on the Hindus during the Moplah Massacre in her book The Future of Indian Politics.

The valiant soldiers of the Gorkha regiment and other military units who were despatched to troubled parts of Malabar to quell the genocide of Hindus by fanatical Moplahs in 1921 valorously fought to save the Hindus from the Moplah fanatics.

This incident serves as a grim reminder of how Jihadi elements have shamed mankind. We must give serious consideration to how India might be liberated from such Jihadist ideology, said Yogi Adityanath.

The wounds of one of the worst communal pogroms recorded in the annals of Indian history remain fresh in the Hindu conscience even after 100 years of the infamous 1921 Moplah massacre. OpIndia has published a detailed report on the Moplah genocide of Hindus and 25th September 1921, the day when 38 Hindus were slaughtered and thrown in a well by a Muslim mob demanding a Caliphate in Malabar. The report can be viewed here.

China provokes yet again by blaming India for the Galwan clash of 2020, India hits back: Here is what the MEA said

OpIndia Staff
-
0
China provokes yet again by blaming India for the Galwan clash of 2020, India hits back: Here is what the MEA said

China has yet again resorted to making unfounded statements regarding the Galwan clash in 2020. India has strongly rebutted the fresh comment by China accusing India of initiating clashes in the Galwan valley in June last year. The External Affairs Ministry on Friday said that the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts by China to change the status quo in Eastern Ladakh.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has yet again made a statement saying that the clash took place because India violated all the treaties and agreements and encroached upon China’s territory illegally.

Zhao Lijian said this while responding to a question on the reorganisation of the Indian military into theatre commands and its possible impact on the Sino-India border management.

In a statement, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi rubbished allegations of China.

“We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent. It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter the status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity.” Arindam Bagchi said.

He further stated that this also impacted bilateral relations.

“As emphasized by EAM in his meeting with Chinese FM earlier this month, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” Arindam Bagchi further explained the position of Delhi on the border dispute.

Galwan Valley clash

On June 15, 2020, the Chinese troops had attacked the Indian troops along the LAC near the Ladakh border. The clashes had resulted in India losing 20 of its soldiers. Estimates suggest China had lost 43 of its men. However, after months of denial, China has now officially acknowledged the loss of at least 5 of its soldiers.

The fallen Indian soldiers were honoured by the government and their last rites were performed in the presence of government representatives, accorded them the due status of martyrs. PM Modi and the COAS had also visited to meet and speak to the injured soldiers.

Interestingly, this second admission of casualties, this time with glorification, comes at a time when there are unverified claims of skirmishes between India and China in the Ladakh region. It appears to be part of psyops where China is trying to motivate their soldiers. Last year, China had not even owed up the dead, which is the worst that can happen to a soldier killed in action and can impact the psyche of other troops, leaving them demoralized and dispirited. On the other hand, India didn’t try to hide any casualties and gave proper respect to those soldiers who made supreme sacrifice for the motherland.

On the border dispute the Narendra Modi government has categorically stated that it will not allow China to occupy even an inch of Indian territory.

What has left China worried is the way India has consolidated its position on trade, commerce and diplomatic front. For instance the ongoing Quad leaders Summit has left China upset as Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called Quad “a closed, exclusive clique targeting other countries.” 

Kolkata police officer stops journalist from reporting BJP protest near CM house, BJP says he molested and manhandled Priyanka Tibrewal

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kolkata police officer stops journalist from reporting BJP protest near CM house, BJP says he molested and manhandled Priyanka Tibrewal

A journalist working for CN Bangla News was stopped by the Kolkata Deputy Commissioner of Police (south), Akash Magharia, from covering the BJP protest in the area near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence. She was asked to produce her ‘antecedent and character certificate’ by the police officer.

In a video that has surfaced, Kolkata DCP South Akash Magharia is heard telling the journalist to go to his office and wait for him. The officer said that he would go to his office and check her ‘character certificate’ first. Veteran journalist Kanchan Gupta shared a snippet of the video on his Twitter handle.

In a video posted on the CN Bangla’s YouTube channel, the journalist, at around 3.13 seconds into the video, is heard complaining that Akash Magharia is not allowing media to cover the BJP protest. The journalist is heard saying that the police have created a barricade and is not allowing media to go to the other side and cover the BJP campaign or speak to the locals.

Kolkata police molests Priyanka Tibrewal and beats up other BJP leaders

BJP has also accused the same police officer, Akash Magharia of molesting and manhandling Priyanka Tibrewal and beating up BJP leaders during Thursday’s agitation near the chief minister’s home. BJP has on Friday complained to the Election Commission against Kolkata DCP (South) Akash Magharia. Priyanka Tibrewal is BJP’s candidate against Mamata Banerjee in the Bhawanipore assembly by-poll.

In a letter to EC, the BJP accused Magharia of dragging and pushing Majumdar and said “the same officer molested and inappropriately manhandled Priyanka Tibrewal and some women.”

The BJP demanded that Magharia should be discharged from election duty immediately and face a departmental inquiry.

Magharia had led the police team on Thursday to control the law and order situation during the protest staged by BJP near Mamata Banerjee South Kolkata residence at Kalighat. BJP had staged an agitation with the body of Manas Saha, a district leader, who had died of injuries inflicted by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers during the post-poll violence in May.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, Lok Sabha members Arjun Singh and Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, and Priyanka Tibrewal were booked by the Kalighat police station.

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee likens BJP leader to a ‘dead dog’ after he dies from injuries inflicted by TMC goons: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee likens BJP leader to a ‘dead dog’ after he dies from injuries inflicted by TMC goons: Details

On Friday (September 24), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seemed to liken deceased BJP leader Manas Saha to a ‘dead dog’ during an election campaign in Bhowanipore. The contentious remarks were made a day after the BJP leadership in the State tried to enter Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat with the dead body of Manas Saha.

While addressing the public in the 71st ward of Bhawanipore Vidhan Sabha constituency, Banerjee commented, “When I went for a meeting yesterday, I heard that they (BJP workers) were trying to enter my house with a dead body… You have the audacity to do this in front of my residence.”

While issuing a stern warning to the State unit of BJP, she pointed out, “What will happen if I send a dead dog to your house? How will it be? Don’t you think that I have the required machinery (manpower)? It will take one second to dump a rotten dog outside your house and you will not be able to eat for 10 days (because of the smell).”

BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar has lashed out at the West Bengal Chief Minister for her ‘insensitive’ comments. “These cannot be the words of a sensitive Chief Minister. A BJP leader has died and that too due to the attack carried out by the Trinamool Congress. She should have been sad. Instead, she warned to send the dead body of a dog. Highly shameful,” he emphasised.

The killing of Manas Saha

Manas Saha, the deceased BJP leader, had contested unsuccessfully from the Magrahat Paschim Vidhan Sabha constituency during the 2021 West Bengal polls. He lost out to the rival TMC leader Gias Uddin Molla by 18,410 votes. Reportedly, Saha was attacked on May 2 (counting day) by TMC sponsored goons and resulted in severe head injuries. He was then hospitalised but succumbed to the injuries on September 22.

BJP leader Arjun Singh had demanded a CBI probe into the matter. “Saha was beaten up by the goons of the local TMC MLA after counting trends showed he was trailing,” he said. Gias Uddin Molla has cried foul and denied the allegations. A clash broke out between the BJP leaders and the Kolkata police on Thursday after they took out the funeral procession of Saha near the residence of Mamata Banerjee in Kalighat.

Post poll violence in West Bengal

Using violence as an instrument to subdue their political opponents has become a distinctive feature of the TMC rule in West Bengal. Ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led retained power in the state, the persecution of dissenters and opposition workers has only intensified. In an overwhelming number of such incidents, the victims have been BJP supporters and workers while the accused were said to be the supporters of the TMC party. More than a dozen BJP workers have lost their lives in the post-poll violence that ensued following the victory of the TMC party in the assembly elections.

The violence unleashed against them forced hundreds of BJP party workers and supporters to flee their villages along with their families. They crossed over to Assam where they have been provided temporary shelter under the supervision of minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. It is not just the BJP but even CPI(M) which has accused the TMC of killing its workers. Reports of attacks on BSF jawans have also emerged in the media. On June 2, 2021, a month after Mamata Banerjee came back to power, the BJP said 37 of its workers were killed in the post-poll violence that convulsed the state.

There were reports that said women in West Bengal were raped, assaulted and, in some cases, even killed, just because they adhered to a different political ideology.Recently, a victim who was raped by the TMC goons in front of her father shared her harrowing ordeal with OpIndia. She narrated how she was attacked and sexually assaulted by her perpetrators associated with the TMC party. In the aftermath of the assembly election results, TMC goons wreaked havoc, attacking and plundering the houses of their opponents. In one such attack, TMC goons lynched BJP worker Avijit Sarkar to death.

‘No-one will tell us what our laws should be’: Former Taliban ‘head of religious police’ says, executions and amputations set to resume in Afghanistan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘No-one will tell us what our laws should be’: Former Taliban ‘head of religious police’ says, executions and amputations set to resume in Afghanistan

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a former Talibani head of religious police claimed that extreme punishments like executions and amputations will restart again in Afghanistan according to a BBC report. Turabi, who is currently in charge of the prisons in Afghanistan said “No one will tell us what our laws should be.”

Human Rights Watch sent out a warning on Thursday that the Taliban in Herat were involved in “searching out high-profile women, denying women freedom of movement outside their homes [and] imposing compulsory dress codes”.

Secretary-General Agnès Callamard of the Amnesty International said about the brutality of the Taliban killings that it was “a reminder of the Taliban’s past record, and a horrifying indicator of what Taliban rule may bring”.

Just before Taliban took over Kabul, one Taliban judge from Balkh named Haji Badruddin told Secunder Kermani of the BBC “In our Sharia, it’s clear, for those who have sex and are unmarried, whether it’s a girl or a boy, the punishment is 100 lashes in public,” Haji Badruddin explained the punishments according to Sharia, “… For those who steal: if it’s proved, then his hand should be cut off.”

Turabi also mentioned that the Taliban’s cabinet ministers were considering whether the punishments would take place in public or in private and that a policy would be developed.

Taliban carried out the executions in Kabul’s sports stadium and Eid Gah mosque in the 1990s. Turabi was then the head of the Taliban’s religious police known as Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Mullah Turabi remembered the executions in a recent interview where he said that “Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and punishments,” 

On the Taliban’s request of speaking at the UN General Assembly, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, “the UN General Assembly is not the appropriate venue for that” while maintaining that communication with the Taliban is important.

Rakesh Tikait begs Joe Biden to pressure Narendra Modi into repealing farm laws: Here’s the actual position of US govt on the matter

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Rakesh Tikait begs Joe Biden to pressure Narendra Modi into repealing farm laws: Here’s the actual position of US govt on the matter

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the United States, anti farm laws leader Rakesh Tikait begged US President Joe Biden to join in the farmer’s protest and help to repeal the three farm laws put forward by the Indian government. He posted a tweet asking the US President to raise the matter of farm laws when he meets PM Modi. However, he seems to be unaware of the stated position of the USA in the matter.

In his tweet to President Joe Biden, Rakesh Tikait begged said that they are protesting against 3 farm laws, and claimed that the protests have resulted in the death of 700 farmers. Asking for help to repeal the farm laws, he tweeted, “These black laws should be repealed to save us. Please focus on our concern while meeting PM Modi”.

However, it seems the so-called farmer leader is not aware of the stated position of the United States regarding the issues the farmers are raising concerning the farm laws. While they are demanding more incentives and benefits for the farmers, the US actually opposes any special benefit given to farmers. The US is against financial and other incentives, and protections, given to Indian farmers, saying it violates free trade agreements under the WTO.

In fact, the US government led by Jow Biden had backed the Indian farm laws and said that the reforms would improve market efficiency. The Biden administration had welcomed the farm laws and supported the Indian government’s aim to reform the agricultural sector. It had also rejected violence in the name of protests.

Above all, the US government fundamentally oppose everything that Rakesh Tikait and the farmers are demanding. For example, the US government’s opposition to the minimum support price (MSP) policy for foodgrain. India, in the past came under serious scrutiny when the US had alleged that India was under reporting the subsidy that it gives for the rice and wheat production.

Also, the farmers are demanding that MSP be granted legal status and made mandatory for the corporates. While farmers protest against the farm laws which they claim will remove the MSP policy, it is strange that Rakesh Tikait now wants President Biden to join his cause of defending the same policy.

Interestingly, while Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had extended support to the farmer protest, the Canadian government had also opposed the MSP regime in India at the WTO. Canada had also opposed PM-Kisan and even PM Fasal Bima Yojana, schemes designed to benefit farmers.

Earlier this year, Tikait also called for the demolition of the godowns owned by private companies if the Indian government does not repeal the farm laws.

1...3,8483,8493,850...7,597Page 3,849 of 7,597