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Journalist who forged Rafale documents to lie about scam, now approaches Supreme Court alleging a snooping scandal that has no merit

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist who forged Rafale documents to lie about scam, now approaches Supreme Court alleging a snooping scandal that has no merit

On Friday (July 30), the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition filed by ‘journalists’ N. Ram and Sashi Kumar over the alleged snooping scandal by the Modi government against ‘142 prominent individuals’ using Israeli spyware Pegasus.

While representing the petitioners in the apex court, advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal sought an urgent hearing and claimed that the matter concerned ‘national security, fundamental rights, and civil liberties’ of citizens. The petition alleged, “Such mass surveillance using a military-grade spyware abridges several fundamental rights and appears to represent an attempt to infiltrate, attack and destabilise independent institutions that act as critical pillars of our democratic set-up.”

It further added, “Respondents (Ministries of Home, Information Technology and Communications) have not categorically ruled out obtaining Pegasus licences to conduct surveillance in their response, and have taken no steps to ensure a credible and independent investigation into these extremely serious allegations.” Accusing the government of spying, the petitioners alleged that it was an attempt to muzzle free speech and dissent. Furthermore, the petition claimed that the government bypassed Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act and targeted the civilians.

The matter was heard by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana. The petition by N. Ram and Sashi Kumar argued that the extent of ‘survelliance’ cannot be relied upon solely on governmental assessment. Labelling the use of the Pegasus spyware as ‘criminal offence’, it claimed that the malware can track and record calls, activate camera and microphone, read emails, texts, Whatsapp messages and even collect passwords. Citing Amnesty International, the petitioners claimed that the ‘surveillance targets’ had ‘Pegasus-induced security breaches’ on their phones.

Why the ‘Pegasus snooping scandal’ has no merit?

On July 18, the left-wing portal ‘The Wire’ claimed that the names of 40 Indian journalists were present in a list that contained names of people who were spied upon using Israeli spyware Pegasus. The 40 Indians were apparently among the thousands of people mentioned in the so-called leaked list, which were earlier reported by The Guardian. Pegasus is developed by Israeli cyber arms firm NSO Group, and reportedly it is only sold to governments. This software can infect iOS and Android devices remotely, and collect all kinds of data.

The Wire insinuated that as only governments could use the software, it meant that the Modi govt was spying on Indian journalists including Siddharth Varadarajan, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, M.K. Venu, Shishir Gupta, Rohini Singh etc. The report included quotes from the allegedly targeted journalists who directly blamed the Modi government for ‘spying’ on them. However, The Wire, or other international publications, did not provide any proof of the so-called spying. None of the media houses reporting the ‘leak’ shed light on the source of the data leak, the involvement of ‘specific’ governments or the objective behind such surveillance.

Following the controversy, the Indian government issued a statement responding to a questionnaire about the alleged leak. The statement stated, “The story being crafted is one that is not only bereft of facts but also founded in pre-conceived conclusions. It seems you are trying to play the role of an investigator, prosecutor as well as jury.” The government clarified both in RTI replies and in the Parliament that there had been no unauthorised interception by security agencies.

“The allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people has no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever. In India there is a well-established procedure through which lawful interception of electronic communication is carried out in order for the purpose of national security, particularly on the occurrence of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety, by agencies at the centre and states ,” the statement said. The NSO group had also refuted the claims by the Guardian report about the ‘leak’.

Days later, Amnesty International stated in a statement that they had never claimed that the so-called list was that of people who were spied on, and asserted that their ‘list’ was merely a mention of people who may be “potential targets” of the clients of NSO.

How N Ram manufactured the Rafale scam through digitally cropped documents?

One of the petitioners in the ‘Pegasus snopping scandal’ is N. Ram, the Chairman of the Kasturi & Sons Limited and publisher of The Hindu. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the journalist desperately tried to create an anti-Modi wave by manufacturing a ‘defence scam’ in the Rafale deal.

On February 8, 2019, The Hindu had published a note from a defence ministry official who had objected to the Prime Minister’s office inquiring about the progress of the deal. This was despite the fact that the officer was not involved in the negotiations of the deal. The Hindu wanted to project that there was opposition to the Rafale deal in the defence ministry and only the Prime Minister was pushing for it. In doing so, the newspaper had cropped a vital part in the same document, a note by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The then defence minister had written that the officer was overreacting, and offices of Indian PM and French President were just monitoring the progress of the deal.

Immediately after the Hindu report, ANI had published the full document, which had proved that N Ram had used a cropped version of the document in his article. About 10 days after the incident, The Hindu came up with a clarification, saying that it did not doctor the document. In its column Readers Editor, it has claimed that the document published by it was an earlier version, which didn’t include the Defence Minister’s note. As proof of the same, The Hindu had noted that the document published by ANI had serial numbers on each note, while there were no serial numbers on the document published by Hindu.

To hide the evidence of Parrikar’s note, the Hindu cropped the document in two places, and even digitally erased part of a stamp that should have been visible even after cropping the same. And its claim that it did not doctor the document turned out to be false, because a date stamp before the defence secretary’s note was clearly removed from the document. As such, the petition in the Supreme Court over the alleged snooping scandal looks like another desperate attempt at anti-Modi propaganda.

Times Radio host wants ‘entry level porn’ for children, deletes tweets after outrage

OpIndia Staff
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Times Radio host wants ‘entry level porn’ for children, deletes tweets after outrage

Times Radio host Flora Gill said on Thursday that someone ought to create pornography for children. Her comment, along expected lines, sparked outrage and consequently, she deleted her controversial tweet.

“Someone needs to create porn for children. Hear me out,” she said, before adding, “Young teens are already watching porn but theyre finding hard core, aggressive videos that give a terrible view of sex. They need entry level porn! A soft core site where everyone asks for consent and no one gets choked etc.”

Source: Twitter

The comment sparked outrage on social media, with people citicising her for the suggestion. Most mocked her for the tweet which they deemed to be utterly ridiculous.

Others were significantly more outraged by the suggestion.

Flora Gill has not issued any apology over the matter.

Flora Gill thrives on ‘hot take’ production

Flora Gill, in the past, has made several tweets that come across as rather unconventional. During a discussion with her mother Amber Rudd on Times Radio, she discussed whether sending nude photographs could be empowering. Rudd is a former Home Secretary of the United Kingdom and has been a Member of Parliament from the Conservative Party.

Source: Twitter

She has also penned an article on Coronavirus themed porn. “My job is weird,” she added as a side remark and we agree wholeheartedly.

Source: Twitter

On one occasion, she asked her audience what they would do if their boyfriend stops having sex with them because of their armpit hair.

Source: Twitter

Her tweets also demonstrate an inclination to provide information about her private sex life to her audience that most would prefer to keep between themselves and their partners.

Source: Twitter

From her tweets, it appears that the ‘porn for children’ suggestion was one step too far from Flora Gill. And that has attracted severe criticism from people online, sparking outrage that is unlikely to fade from public memory any time soon.

After Central govt and Bengal govt fail to respond, SC adjourns case demanding paramilitary forces in Bengal for 2 weeks

OpIndia Staff
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After Central govt and Bengal govt fail to respond, SC adjourns case demanding paramilitary forces in Bengal for 2 weeks

The Supreme Court today adjourned the hearing in a petition seeking a probe into the post-poll violence in West Bengal. On July 1st, the bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari had issued notices to the Central Govt, West Bengal govt and the Election Commission of India seeking their response on a PIL filed by UP based lawyer Ranjana Agnihotri and social worker Jitender Singh.

In the hearing today, the third respondent Election Commission was represented by a counsel, but there was no representation from the union govt and the West Bengal govt. This prompted the court to list the matter after two weeks. The bench also asked the petitioner to serve the notices again to the central and state govts.

Advocate Amit Sharma, who was representing the ECI, said that while notice has been served to all three parties, none of them have filed any counters.

The PIL was filed seeking the direction to the central government to deploy armed paramilitary forces in West Bengal to stop the post-poll violence by TMC workers against opposition workers, mainly BJP workers and their families. The petitioners also sought the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for probing the causes and reasons of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

The petition filed through Advocate Hari Shankar Jain had said that the PIL has been filed in extraordinary circumstances as thousands of residents of West Bengal are being terrorized, penalised and tortured by the workers of TMC for supporting BJP during the assembly polls. It said that thousands of mostly Hindu citizens of West Bengal are being targeted by Muslims to take revenge for supporting BJP, as they want to crush Hindus so that their chosen party remains in power for years to come.

The PIL also narrated how TMC contested the elections on communal basis, and how the violence started in the state just after the declaration of the election results. The PIL had also accused the Election Commission of failure to stop communal appeals made by the TMC. The petitioners further added that no action was taken by the state administration and police against the violence, which has already been established by the report by the NHRC committee.

Responding the petition, the apex court on July 1 had issued notices to three parties, central govt, state govt and ECI, but had refused to issue notice to CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Complaint filed against Anurag Kashyap directed film Ghost Stories on Netflix for “foetus eating scene”

OpIndia Staff
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Complaint filed against Anurag Kashyap directed film Ghost Stories on Netflix for “foetus eating scene”

A complaint was filed against director Anurag Kashyap’s Netflix anthology Ghost Stories for a scene in which actress Sobhita Dhulipala’s character could be seen consuming a foetus after suffering a miscarriage. 

The complaint was filed under the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. It said the scene was superfluous and there was no need to incorporate it in the short film. The complaint also said that a trigger warning should have been added for women who have gone through the trauma of miscarriages if the creators wished to add such a scene. 

This is amongst the first grievances filed against the newly formulated Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February this year. As per the new guidelines, the complaint needs to be registered within 24 hours and a resolution needs to be reached as soon as possible.

As of now, Netflix’s grievance redressal officer is looking into the matter. According to a report published by Mid-Day, the OTT platform’s spokesperson reached out to the production company RSVP Movies and Flying Unicorn Entertainment to share the complaint. 

Anurag Kashyap reportedly reacted to the complaint filed against his directed short film. As per his Instagram story that is no longer visible, he said, “So it has started… A complaint came to Netflix on Ghost Stories. This is the end.”

Ghost Stories in an anthology of short films directed by Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar. It was released on New Year’s Day in 2020 on Netflix. Ghost Stories is the third of three anthology films from them, which was preceded by Bombay Talkies in 2013 and Lust Stories in 2018. Lust Stories was also released on Netflix.

Shiv Sena workers arrested for thrashing delivery boy in Mumbai, two on the run: Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Shiv Sena workers arrested for thrashing delivery boy in Mumbai, two on the run: Here is what happened

The Maharashtra police arrested four Shiv Sena workers, including a leader, for assaulting a delivery boy in the Kandivali area of Mumbai.

According to the reports, on Thursday, an e-commerce delivery agent Rahul Sharma, resident of Jai Hind Chawl, Poisar Kandivali East, registered a complaint against Shiv Sena leaders in Samta Nagar Police Station.

In his complaint, Rahul Sharma said that he worked as a delivery person for an e-commerce site. He detailed that when he had gone to the Poisar area to deliver a parcel, it started raining heavily. So he took shelter under the shade outside the Poisar Shivaji Maidan branch office of Shiv Sena, the complainant said.

Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Nineve, who was present at the office at that time, approached Sharma and stepped on the delivery parcels. As the complainant asked Nineve to take care of the parcel, the Shiv Sena leader started abusing him. The arguments between the two escalated, and Nineve with five other Shiv Sena workers assaulted Sharma, the police said.

A case has been registered against six members, out of which four have been arrested. Two Shiv Sena workers have been on the run, the police said.

The police added that a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the six Shiv Sena workers. “Four accused are arrested while two are still absconding. Further investigation in the case is underway,” the Maharashtra police said.

Pakistani terrorists could target Hindu Temples in J&K on Aug 5th and Independence Day to spark tensions, intel says

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani terrorists could target Hindu Temples in J&K on Aug 5th and Independence Day to spark tensions, intel says

Indian intelligence agencies believe that Pakistani terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed could target Hindu Temples in Jammu & Kashmir on the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 to spark communal tensions. According to reports, they have received information that Hindu Temples could be attacked on the 5th of August and on Independence Day on the 15th of August.

Consequently, security has been increased in the state. On Thursday, drones were spotted at three different locations in Jammu & Kashmir. The first was spotted at Samba’s Ghajwal police station area and ITBP centre, the second at Chliyari International Border area and the third at the Bari Brahma area. Consequently, a high alert has been sounded.

Drones have increased in the area. On Friday (July 22), the Jammu and Kashmir police shot down a Pakistani drone, carrying 5kg of explosives, at Kanachak near Jammu.

On June 27, the Indian Air Force tweeted that two low-intensity explosions took place in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station. The blasts took place at around 1:42 AM on Sunday and were so powerful they could be heard till 1 km distance. The drone dropped the bombs at a location close to the Helicopter hangar. The IAF suspected that these attacks were intended to target the strategic assets of the Indian Air Force located inside the airbase.

With August 5 and Independence Day approaching, security has been beefed up to thwart any possible mischief in the states by terrorists from across the border.

Illegal campsites of farmer protests at Delhi border have become a hub of flesh trade, drugs and alcohol, reveals report

OpIndia Staff
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Illegal campsites of farmer protests at Delhi border have become a hub of flesh trade, drugs and alcohol, reveals report

The day Icchadhari ‘protestor’ Yogendra Yadav in an opinion piece claimed that the farmer protest is protecting the ‘idea of India,’ a sting operation by Zee Hindustan on the very same revealed the ugly side of it. 

National Highway 09 also known as Tikri Border has been shut for the past six months with alleged farmers protesting against the Farm Laws. What started with blocking the highway and eventually led to a siege of the Red Fort on Republic Day, the ‘farmer protests’ have now turned into a breeding ground for flesh trade, as per the report.

In a shocking revelation, a Zee Hindustan reporter disguised as a farmer unearthed rampant sex trade taking place at the protesting sites. In a blatant confession, a sex worker sitting just outside the bushes on Rohtak Highway revealed that she regularly gets customers from the protesting site who pay anywhere between Rs 100-500.

As per the report, multiple sex workers have set up their camps and tents close to the Tikri Border. The reporter was also taken on a tour of the site by a fake farmer who revealed the perks of participating in the protest.

The man can be heard saying that one gets alcohol, Rs 300 per day and sex. When the reporter spoke to a local on the condition at the borders, he revealed that almost everyone is intoxicated post 7 pm. So much so that at times they come in front of vehicles passing by. He also claimed that these farmers make video calls back home while drinking or from the sex sites to provoke their families to come to the borders.

In the visuals, one can see an alleged farmer lying on the roadside in an inebriated condition. When questioned, the local revealed that he had taken drugs. The intoxicated ‘farmer protestors’ also often create nuisance in the neighbouring areas, as per reports.

Haryana Police takes cognizance of the matter

Taking cognizance of the matter, SHO Vijay Kumar said that strict action will be taken against the flesh trade and an investigation will be initiated in this matter.

Kumar also informed that this is not the first time that cases of flesh trade from near the protesting sites have come to the fore. An investigation was carried out previously as well with enhanced patrolling in the area. 

“People sitting at the borders are there for drugs”

A farmer in an interview with the news channel revealed that the BKU leader Rakesh Tikait himself is a fake farmer and gets people for Rs 300 to sit at the borders. “He is defaming the real farmers by doing this. The real farmers are working in the fields,” said the man.

“The ones sitting at the borders are all there for drugs,” he added.

Another farmer said that the Farm Laws are very much in favor of the farmers and the real ones are toiling hard in the field. 

“Nobody is a farmer there. They are all mafias,” echoed other farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. 

From Bhindranwale posters to cases of murder and lynching, the ongoing farmer protests seem to have very little to do with actual farmers.

India operationalises Rafale jets in Eastern corridor to counter Chinese aggression, inducted to squadron in Bengal’s Hasimara IAF base: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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India operationalises Rafale jets in Eastern corridor to counter Chinese aggression, inducted to squadron in Bengal’s Hasimara IAF base: Reports

Ahead of the high-level military talks with China on Saturday (July 31), India has stationed Rafale fighter jets at the eastern front with China in Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet trijunction, reported The Times of India (TOI).

On Wednesday (July 28), eight Rafale jets were officially inducted into the ‘Falcons of Chhamb and Akhnoor’ Squadron at Hasimara Indian Air Force (IAF base) in West Bengal. Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhsduria informed that the new fighter jets have ‘unmatched potential’ and can dominate and intimidate the adversaries whenever and wherever required. The 17 ‘Golden Arrows’, the first fully operational squadron of 18 fighter jets are also undertaking sorties in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

TOI reported that about 10 Rafale jets, contracted under ₹59,000 crore deal in September 2016, will arrive from France to India in batches before April 2022. Besides, Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI fighters have also been deployed at the Tezpur and Chabua air bases to counter China’s offensive. It must be mentioned that China has 4 times the number of fighter jets as compared to India. At the same time, it has upgraded its airbases in Kashgar, Hotan, Gargunsa (Ngari Gunsa), Lhasa-Gonggar, and Shigatse with fighter jets and bombers since the border standoff last year.

IAF has terrain advantage; has far superior fighter jets than China

Despite the numerical strength of China, the Indian Air Force has a ‘terrain advantage’ in both ground attack and aerial combat along the Line of Actual Control. China also faces a huge disadvantage as its airbases are located at high altitudes. The rarefied air limits fuel and weapon carrying capacity of the fighter jets. Quoting Indian Air Force officers, TOI reported that India’s bulk of fighter jets in the form of Mirage-2000s, MiG-29s and Sukhoi-30MKI, and Rafale are superior to Chinese fighters.

In particular, the Rafale jets are equipped with long stand-off weapons such as 300-km range ‘Scalp’ air-to-ground cruise missiles. The fighter jets have a combat range of 780 km to 1650 km and a meteor air-to-air-missile range of 120 km-150km. These missiles give Rafale fighters a higher edge over its Pakistani and Chinese counterparts. Although they are housed in Ambala and Hasimara air bases, Rafale fighters can operate from anywhere across the country. To add to that, IAF had ordered ‘Hammer’ air-to-ground precision-guided munitions to destroy hardened shelters and bunkers. They also have a strike range of 20-70 km.

China strengthened its positions at friction points in Ladakh

Earlier, it was reported that China had hardened its stance in the depth areas of eastern Ladakh, during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in India. According to the sources quoted by India Today journalist ShivAroor, far from reducing its presence in Ladakh as previously agreed, China had reinforced its positions with permanent accommodations and depots, a sign of hardening stance even as the talks between the two sides continue.

The images with the Indian military establishment and the ground intelligence hinted that China had no mood to vacate its aggressive positions along the line of control in eastern Ladakh. The grim details of China’s treachery were uncovered on a day when the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping expressed her commiserations to PM Modi over the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in India. “The Chinese side stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the Indian side in fighting the pandemic and provide support and help in this regard. I believe that under the leadership of the Indian Government, the Indian people will surely prevail over the pandemic,” Xi Jinping said.

Punjab Congress worker commits suicide after sending a voice note for Navjot Sidhu, said party let him down: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab Congress worker commits suicide after sending a voice note for Navjot Sidhu, said party let him down: Details

Daljit Singh Jangpur alias Happy Bajwa, a Congress worker from Punjab who was the co-ordinator of Dakha Sports and Cultural Cell, consumed poison and died by suicide on Thursday in Dakha. 

Before committing suicide, Bajwa, a resident of Jangpur village in Dakha circulated a 10-minute audio (suicide) note addressed to PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and posted in some WhatsApp groups.

As per reports, Bajwa was fed up with a property dispute and had a police case pending against him. In the audio note, he alleged that his voice was not being heard and that he could no longer bear the atrocities meted out to him by some co-villagers.

What Bajwa said in the audio note

As per The Times of India, Bajwa before ending his life said that he served the party for 30 years but could not even get the atta-dal scheme (a scheme to procure wheat and pulses at a subsidized rate) started for his family. He also alleged that the party did not come to his aid when several false cases were filed against him.

Bajwa was also heard saying that even after four-and-a-half years of Congress rule, no poor family associated with him in his village was benefited by the party. Schemes like atta-dal went to those with good cars and houses (of Akalis).

Despite Congress being in power, the party did not help him get justice when he was falsely accused in an attempt to murder case, the note said. 

Bajwa sharing the names of the perpetrators alleged that the Akalis were creating hurdles in acquiring a land he had purchased. He also hinted that the accused were getting ready to file another false case against him. 

Ending his note, Bajwa requested the PPCC president to take care of his family. He also said that now that Sidhu has been appointed as the new chief, their voices might be heard. 

Want to be a Congressman again

Despite complaints, Bajwa in his audio allegedly said that if he gets another life he would want to become a Congress worker again. He said he toiled hard for the party, campaigned for Congress in many states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

He had also worked in the by-poll elections of his constituency. Dedicating his life to the party, Bajwa had decided to not get married. 

Congress and Akali Dal refute allegations

As soon as the audio clip went viral, political secretary to chief minister Captain Sandeep Sandhu, who contested elections from Dakha constituency claimed that Bajwa blamed the Akali Dal workers who ruined his life and not the Congress party. He just requested the party to take care of his family, he added.

On the other hand, Akali leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali too refuted the allegations and said that Bajwa was himself involved in wrongdoings.

Police arrests the accused named by Bajwa

Reports suggest that Bajwa on Thursday went to a nearby village on a tractor and consumed sulphas. When found unconscious Bajwa was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed. 

On the complaint of Bajwa’s brother, police booked three co-villagers Pritam Singh, his nephew Baljinder Singh and Panch Manjinder Singh for abetting suicide. The three were accused of harassing Bajwa following a property dispute. 

Two accused of which one is an elected member of the panchayat have been arrested by the police. The third is on a run and a manhunt has been launched to arrest him.  

Dismissing the possibility of a political rivalry, DSP Gurbans Bains said, “As of now, we are investigating as per the victim’s brother’s statement who named the three men. The authenticity of the WhatsApp audio recording needs to be verified and we are not counting on that as of now.”

Navjot Singh Sidhu visits Bajwa’s family

Reportedly, Sidhu visited Bajwa’s house and announced an immediate grant of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased. He also assured the family that he will always stand rock-solid in support of the family. 

Sidhu had also demanded immediate arrest of the accused named by Bajwa in the audio.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also took to Twitter to condole the death of his party worker. 

“Tragic news of our party worker from Ludhiana district Happy Bajwa committing suicide. Have directed @DGPPunjabPolice to immediately enquire into it and to bring the culprits to book. Anyone found guilty will not be spared,” he tweeted giving assurance. 

DMK Minister’s daughter-in-law wants a law that requires Vatican’s permission to arrest Christian pastors: Details

OpIndia Staff
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DMK Minister’s daughter-in-law wants a law that requires Vatican’s permission to arrest Christian pastors: Details

Mercy Senthil Kumar, the daughter-in-law of senior DMK leader and minister I Periyasamy, stoked a controversy recently by demanding a law requiring the sanction of Vatican Pope to arrest Christian pastors and sisters across the world.

According to a report by the Commune, Mercy Senthil Kumar attended a condolence event held in the memory of Naxal sympathiser, and Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence accused Stanislaus Lourduswamy, popularly known as Stan Swamy, at Dindigul. 

Speaking at the event, Mercy Senthil Kumar claimed that she was at the event to give a voice to the death of Pastor Stan Lourduswamy, who, according to her, had dedicated his entire life to the service of people.

“Everyone is speaking out about Pastor Stan Swamy’s death. I’m here to add my voice to yours. We are all bound by our family circles, and we can only volunteer in our spare time. But what respect do we give to priests and sisters who dedicate their entire lives to service? A priest (Stan Swamy) has died. Today, 200 people gathered here to support Stan Swamy, and another priest and a sister will be struggling somewhere else tomorrow,” said Mercy as she paid her tributes to Naxal sympathiser Stan Lourduswamy.

Stan Lourduswamy, commonly known as Stan Swamy, was an undertrial prisoner in the Elgar-Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence case and died last week at a Mumbai private hospital due to an age-related illness. The 84-year-old Stan Swamy, an Indian Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, had been involved in anarchic activities for quite some time. However, his anti-India activities came to the fore after his role in the Elgar Parishad in 2018 surfaced during the investigation.

The video of her speech has gone viral on the internet now.

Continuing her speech, Mercy claimed that it was Christian fathers and sisters who brought education and rationality to India and that the majority of India’s educational institutions are in the hands of priests and sisters. She suggested that these Christian priests should be allowed to teach politics and law across the country.

“We should teach about sainthood in the colleges with Christians. This is because living the life of a saint is very difficult. We should see Christians pastors and sisters as heroes and heroines,” said Mercy Senthil Kumar, who is also the wife of DMK MLA Senthil Kumar.

Taking it a step further, Mercy suggested that a law should be introduced in the country that would require the Vatican’s Pope’s permission to imprison any pastors or nuns serving people worldwide.

The shocking speech by an influential DMK sympathiser asking for a law to ensure sanction by the Vatican to act against Christian clergy comes just a week after another prominent DMK supporter had stoked a similar controversy during a tribute event in the memory of Naxal Stan Swamy.

A prominent Catholic priest named Father George Ponnaiah from the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, a known supporter of DMK had recently indulged in hate speech activity against Hindus.

Hate speech against Hindus by DMK supporter Father Ponnaiah

During the public meeting at Arumanai, Father George Ponnaiah had said, “It does not matter how many temples you renovate and consecrate. No Hindu, no devotee of Mandaikattu Amman, is going to vote for you. If you won, then it is the alms we Christians and Muslims have thrown to you. You won not because of your talents.”

While speaking about the role of the Church in ensuring DMK’s victory, he added, “Bishops just signalled with their eyes and our workers including the Pentecostal movement workers went and canvassed for you (DMK and Congress).”

Father Ponnaiah had also insulted Bharat Mata by claiming that she is dirty and can cause scabies. During his public address, he had mocked BJP candidate MR Gandhi for not wearing footwear out of respect for Mother Earth (Bhumadevi/Bharat Mata).

“But we wear shoes. Why? Because the impurities of Bharat Mata should not contaminate us. The Tamil Nadu government has given us free footwear. This bhumadevi is dangerous, you could catch scabies from it,” the pastor brazened it out. Besides vulgar rhetorics and open polarisation, Father Ponnaiah had also made despicable remarks about PM Modi and Amit Shah.

The videos of his hate speech had gone viral on the internet, stoking massive uproar against the Christian priest. Following protests, the Christian priest was arrested by Tamil Nadu police.

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