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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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‘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
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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.

Toolkit for illegal encroachers? Numerous tweets with same words and hashtag point towards sinister designs over Assam violence

K Bhattacharjee
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Toolkit for illegal encroachers? Numerous tweets with same words and hashtag point towards sinister designs over Assam violence

Violence gripped Darrang District of Assam on Thursday after encroachers attacked security forces when authorities were conducting an eviction drive in the area. Soon after, the state government was criticised over alleged ‘human rights violations’ even though they were acting in self-defense.

Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered a judicial inquiry over the matter and on Friday, he said that the eviction drive was being carried out only after agreement with local Muslims over the matter. However, the online campaign against the Assam Chief Minister and his government continues unabated.

Consequently, it has been observed that a lot of the tweets against the government and the eviction drive have exactly the same words and use the same hashtag, hinting at sinister designs. During the anti-farm law protests, we saw how a ‘toolkit’ was created to drive a negative campaign against the Indian Government.

There are numerous tweets trending the hashtag #AssamGenocidalEviction which are carbon copies of each other. In their tweets, they label the eviction drive an ‘RSS conspiracy’.

Source: Twitter

There are not merely one or two such tweets, the list is basically endless with countless accounts tweeting the exact same thing.

Source: Twitter

The source of the tweets isn’t yet clear. While most such tweets are carbon copies of each other, some have attached images of posters to their tweets. The poster was created by the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), a group that has notable Islamist inclinations.

It is not yet known whether SIO has anything to do with the torrent of copied tweets. Besides, others have added different image in the copied tweets.

Source: Twitter

The hashtag is being used with tweets with different words as well, but all of them convey the same message with similar words.

Source: Twitter

We discovered that it is not just one instance where copied tweets are doing the rounds, we discovered multiple copied tweets that are circulating widely on social media.

Source: Twitter

The text of another tweet template says, “We were divided in the name of color, race and religion. RSS learnt the drill from past and days are passing by to prove once identity and culture.”

Source: Twitter

Yet another says, “Arrest the culprits, put them behind bars, provide relief and compensation to the decease family.”

Source: Twitter

The text of yet another says, “The world is watching the heinous attempts to attack minorities, time that UN addresses the matter and put an end to the atrocities on Muslims.”

Source: Twitter

Thus, the prevalence of copied tweets clearly indicates that sinister designs are afoot to malign the Assam Government and peddle a motivated agenda against the RSS. These are not all the tweet templates circulating on social media currently but only the ones we managed to spot.

Source: Twitter

Apart from the copied tweets and the hashtag, there are also threats of violence doing the rounds on social media. One account, which claims to be from Bangladesh, demanded that weapons be supplied to Bengali Muslims in Assam.

Source: Twitter

The incident occurred on Thursday after around 10,000 people attacked Assam Police, forcing law enforcement authorities to retaliate. 11 policemen are reported to have been injured in the attack. Consequently, two were killed in retaliation by police forces.

‘Abrogation of article 370 has restored governance in Jammu and Kashmir’: British MP Bob Blackman in the UK Parliament

OpIndia Staff
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‘Abrogation of article 370 has restored governance in Jammu and Kashmir’: British MP Bob Blackman in the UK Parliament

On Thursday (September 23), British Conservative MP Bob Blackman defended India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in the UK Parliament.

“Under the Indian law, Muslim women are protected against Triple Talaq. A man saying ‘I divorce you’ three times meant the end…Now Article 370 have been abrogated, they have that protection. Under Indian law, it’s illegal for children under the age of 14 to be married. Prior to the abrogation of Article 370, women under the age of 14 could be married. And of course, under Article 35A, the Hindu Kashmiri Pandits were expelled at gunpoint by Islamist forces. Now, they have the potential to return,” he remarked.

Bob Blackman pointed out, “Local government has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir under the provocation of revoking Article 370. Now, the fact is that the Kashmiri valley is a beautiful area to see. It is an opportunity for tourism, culture, trade, hydroelectric power and many other aspects. But it has been tainted by multiple massacres, terrorist attacks, killings, child marriages, and forced conversions by radical Islamist terrorists.”

He also emphasised how Jammu is historically Hindu majority while Ladakh is historically Buddhist majority. The Conservative MP said that religious minorities such as Sikhs, Hindus and Christians have faced persecution in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley. Bob Blackman is a Conservative Party politician and a member of the UK Parliament from Harrow East constituency. Known as the ‘Friend of India’, he talks frequently about the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus. He often exposes Pakistan sponsored terror through his tweets and was felicitated with the Padma Shri Award in January 2020.

Bob Blackman moved motion in UK Parliament on 31st anniversary of genocide of Kashmiri Pandits

Earlier on January 18 this year, Bob Blackman had tabled a motion in the UK Parliament, commemorating the 31st anniversary of the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley. The motion expressed deep sadness over the violence perpetrated by the cross-border Islamic terrorists in January 1990 against the Kashmiri Pandit community. Bob Blackman, the primary sponsor of the motion, condemned the desecration of the holy sites that were vandalised and desecrated during the genocide. He expressed his condolences to the families of Kashmiri Pandits, who were mercilessly killed, raped, injured during the exodus.

The motion reiterated that families of Kashmiri Pandits had to flee their homeland to avoid persecution at the hands of the Islamists. The text further read, “(The motion) commends the resilience and courage shown by the members of Kashmiri Pandit community who survived this gruesome ethnic genocide and who did not resort to taking up arms but instead pursued education and aspiration.” Denouncing cross-border terrorism, the motion further emphasised that it is the responsibility of individual nations and the international community at large to prevent crimes against humanity, as witnessed in the case of Kashmiri Hindus.

BJP joins hands with Sanjay Nishad-led NISHAD Party for 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election

OpIndia Staff
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BJP joins hands with Sanjay Nishad-led NISHAD Party for 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election

The BJP on Friday announced that the party will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly election in alliance with Sanjay Nishad-led Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD). Assembly election in the state is scheduled for next year.

Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev announced this at a joint press conference along with Sanjay Nishad. Swatantra Dev said that the cadres of the BJP and NISHAD will ensure lotus blooms in Uttar Pradesh once again.

Nishad represents the Other Backward Class (OBC) fishing community of Uttar Pradesh. Union minister and election in charge of the BJP Dharmendra Pradhan was also present when the BJP officially announced the alliance.

Dharmendra Pradhan said that people have responded to their faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. But leaders did not disclose anything about the seat-sharing. reportedly, the matter of seat-sharing is being discussed and it will be finalized later on.

After Apna Dal, the NISHAD is the second regional party the BJP has patterned with for the 2022 assembly poll of Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP joining hands with Sanjay Nishad is a well-calculated move owing to the sizable presence of the fisherman community, also called Nishad, in around 160 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. The Nishad community constitutes 18 per cent of the total OBC population of Uttar Pradesh. Notably, the Nishad community comprises 22 sub-castes and is considered quite dominant in districts like Mau, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Santkabir Nagar and Prayagraj and others.

Sanjay Nishad had won the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat in 2018 during the by-poll. He won the seat as the joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. He allied with the BJP during the 2019 parliamentary elections. The BJP is also likely to offer him an MLC seat.

During the press conference, Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to double the income of farmers adding that farmers have extended their blessings to the BJP.

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