The Vice President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh has said that Pakistan has warned the Afghan forces against taking any action against the Taliban, which is rapidly capturing the country. In a tweet,
Breaking: Pakistan air force has issued official warning to the Afghan Army and Air Force that any move to dislodge the Taliban from Spin Boldak area will be faced and repelled by the Pakistan Air Force. Pak air force is now providing close air support to Taliban in certain areas
The First Vice President of Afghanistan said that the Pakistani Air Force is now providing close air support to the Taliban in certain areas.
The Spin Boldak area in the Kandahar district was captured by the Taliban yesterday, including the Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing with Pakistan. The second most important border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan was closed for the public by Pakistan after the Taliban took it over. The Talibs had removed the Afghanistan flag and hoisted its own flag at the border crossing. Now according to Amrullah Saleh, Pakistan is supporting the Taliban so that Afghan forces can’t regain control of the area.
Some reports had said that the Afghanistan govt had claimed that its forces have re-captured the Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing, but the Taliban has denied the reports. The Islamic terror group continues to control the border town including the border post.
According to social media users from the area, Pakistan has started delivering weapons to Taliban through the border crossing after the Afghan forces were forced to retreat. One Twitter user claimed that Pakistani Army loaded weapons from the Quetta military cantonment this morning and delivered the same to the Taliban through the Chaman border.
In these military vehicles, the Pakistani army loaded weapons from the Quetta military cantonment this morning and delivered through the Chaman border to help the Taliban. Pakistan is a factory of terrorists. The UN must take strict action.#PakStartedWarAgainstAfgpic.twitter.com/Ret7x2AxUY
Amrullah Saleh also gave update on the efforts of the Afghan forces to recapture areas lost to Taliban. He said that the Afghan forces are defending Qala Naw, the provincial centre of Badghis province. The forces encircled the town, making it a kill zone for the Talibs, which forced the Taliban to use the community elders to negotiate a ceasefire so that they can leave the town.
Also our brave commandoes of 215 Corps re-captured Chakhansour district in Nimroz – killing all Talibs & re-taking 10 APCs that were lost last week. It is a matter of time. Afg is too big for Pakistan to swallow. Too big.
He said that the 215 Corps have re-captured the Chakansour district in Nimroz, killing the Talib fighters. Saleh informed that they have now regained 10 APCs which were captured by Taliban last week.
He further said that Afghanistan is too big for Pakistan to swallow, implying that Pakistan will never be able to take control of Afghanistan using the Taliban as proxy.
As ‘farmers’ continue to stage protest against farm laws, reports have emerged that Haryana police have booked as many as 100 unidentified protestors under the sedition law after they attacked and damaged an official vehicle of Haryana Deputy Speaker and BJP leader Ranbir Gangwa. The FIR also names farmer leaders Harcharan Singh and Prahlad Singh. The attack reportedly took place on July 11 in Haryana’s Sirsa district. The FIR was filed on the same day under IPC sections 124-A (sedition) and 307 (attempt to murder).
Today Haryana Police arrested five people for involvement in the attack. “Five protesters have been arrested. We analysed the video footage of the incident in the past two days. The pictures were magnified and later based on the evidence, the five who were identified have been arrested,” Sirsa superintendent of police Dr Arpit Jain told media over the phone.
More people have been identified who were present near the site of the incident on Sunday and further action will depend on to what extent their involvement, informed the police officer.
According to reports, the Haryana Assembly Deputy Speaker was in his car when it was attacked with stones. Though the rear windscreen of the car was completely shattered in the attack, Ranbir Gangwa, who was sitting on the front seat, escaped unhurt.
Ranbir Gangwa was in Sirsa on Sunday to take part in BJP’s executive committee meeting. The protesters attacked his vehicle when he was leaving the venue after the meeting was over. Despite heavy security, some protesters managed to surround the vehicle and banged against it with their hands. Police said that they also pelted stones at the car and broke its rear windscreen.
Police had used mild force to disperse the protestors, after which Gangwa’s car left the spot. Meanwhile, the SHO of civil lines Vikram Singh has also been suspended for allegedly mishandling the situation which resulted in the vandalism of the Deputy Speaker’s car on Sunday.
Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa had said on Tuesday that those who pelted his vehicle with stones on Sunday cannot be called farmers. “They cannot be called farmers. I can say those who attacked looked like addicts,” he had said.
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij slammed the ‘farmers’ saying that they were getting more and more violent with each passing day. “The violent agitation cannot be allowed to continue in a democratic and peaceful country,” he asserted.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls allegations “false, frivolous and cooked up”
However, refuting the allegations, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha called it “false, frivolous and cooked up”. In a statement, the SKM, which has been in the forefront of the agitation, said: “Farmer leaders Harcharan Singh and Prahlad Singh and around 100 farmers have been booked under false cases… with grave charge of sedition… merely because they were protesting against Haryana Deputy Speaker in Sirsa.”
‘Farmers’ launching attacks on BJP leaders emerging as a repeated trend in Haryana
While the farmer leaders have called the accusation baseless and frivolous, multiple such incidents have been reported in the past as well. In the beginning of the month, OpIndia reported how a group of protesting ‘farmers’, which included women, destroyed paddy from 1.5 acres of land that is owned by BJP leader Harjeet Singh Grewal in his native place in the Dhanaula village of Barnala district of Punjab. These ‘farmers’ under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), made videos of the act and also raised anti-BJP slogans while destroying the crop.
Calling them “aatanki (terroists) kisan, Congress and Maowadi’s (Maoist)”, the minister had asserted that these people are being able to carry out such felonious activities with impunity because of the backing of Punjab police, working at the behest of the Congress government in the state.
Similarly in May, farmers at Hisar, Hayarana got violent and tried to disrupt a Covid-19 facility inauguration event attended by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. As per reports, a huge crowd gathered at the site all of a sudden charging at the security forces which resulted in a clash. The farmers had also attacked DSP Abhimanyu, leaving him seriously injured. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha protesting on the border had also backed the protest.
On Wednesday, Business Standard had published a report claiming that there were fresh clashes between Indian and Chinese forces in Easter Ladakh, which was rubbished by the Indian Army. The army had said that the article written by Ajai Shukla was riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation, and the intention of the author was malafide.
However, even after a strong rebuttal issued by the Indian Army, Ajai Shukla had chosen to stand his ground. In a tweet, he had claimed that his article was not rebutted through any official channel, and that it was an unofficial rebuttal sent to a group of defence journalists on WhatsApp. He claimed that the journalists treated the same as an official rebuttal.
But just like his report on an imaginary fresh clash between India and China in Ladakh, his claims on the rebuttal by the Indian Army was also false and baseless. Because the Public Relations Office of the Indian Army had indeed issued an official response to Business Standard, rebutting all the charges made by Ajai Shukla.Contrary to the claim by Shukla, the rebuttal was an official statement issued by the Indian Army, which was signed by Col Sudhir Chamoli. The official statement is given below:
After the official statement of the Indian Army was pointed to Ajai Shukla, he quickly deleted his tweet claiming that there was no official rebuttal to his baseless article. It is interesting that while the official rebuttal was issued by the Indian Army on 14 July itself, Ajai Shukla claimed on 15th July that it was only an unofficial message on WhatsApp.
The Indian Army had said in the statement that the article is riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation. “It is reiterated that the news report mentioning that agreements with China have collapsed, is false and baseless. Ever since the disengagement agreement in February this year, there has been no attempt by either side to occupy the areas from where the dis-engagement had been undertaken. There have been no clashes in Galwan or any other area, as reported in the article. The intention of the reporter is malafide and not based on any truth”, the statement said.
It further added that both sides have continued with negotiations to resolve balance issues, and regular patrolling in respective areas continues. It said, “The situation on ground continues to be as hithertofore. PLA activities, including turnover of troops continue to be monitored by Indian Army. The news article has been published with uncorroborated facts and is strongly rebutted.” The PRO of Indian had also asked Business Standard to carry the rebuttal prominently on both the newspaper and its online platform. They had further advised the publication to exercise editorial oversight when reporting matters of national security.
After the NHRC tore into the state machinery for the “retributive violence” by Trinamool Congress supporters after the West Bengal polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has started crying foul. She has accused the statutory body of leaking its final report on the post-poll violence to the media before submitting it in court.
Accusing the statutory body of pursuing ‘political vendetta’ of the BJP, she slammed NHRC for disrespecting the court. “Instead of submitting (NHRC) report in the court, they’ve leaked it. They should respect the court. If it is not a political vendetta, how can they leak the report? They are maligning people of Bengal,” said Mamata Banerjee as soon as reports emerged on the scathing observations made by the statutory public body in its final report on the post-poll violence in the state.
Interestingly, NHRC had already submitted its final report in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, only after which the report was shared with the media today. Therefore, Mamata Banerjee’s accusations don’t make any sense as she is making false and baseless allegations against the NHRC.
Cleary deflecting the truth, Mamata Banerjee added: “PM Modi knows very well that there is no rule of law in UP. How many commissions has he sent there? So many incidents, from Hathras to Unnao, have taken place. Even journalists are not spared. They give a bad name to Bengal. Maximum violence was pre-poll”.
Earlier in the day when the media had started to reveal the content of the NHRC report, CM Mamata Banerjee had refused to comment on it, saying as the matter is sub-judice, she would not comment on it respecting the court. The TMC leaders had also rejected the report, saying no such report has been tabled. But after the NHRC report was widely reported by media, Mamata Banerjee changed her position, and chose to attack NHRC accusing them of leaking the report.
Mamata Banerjee asks Calcutta HC to stop NHRC from probing WB post-poll violence, HC rejects plea
It is pertinent to note here that after the Calcutta HC, on June 18, directed the chairperson of NHRC to form a panel to examine the cases of alleged human rights violation during post-poll violence, Mamata Banerjee government had requested the HC to recall the order. However, on June 21, Calcutta High Court rejected the Mamata Banerjee government’s plea, giving a go-ahead to NHRC to probe the post-poll violence in the state.
However, in response to the CM allegations, NHRC fact-finding team member Atif Rasheed said that Mamata Banerjee needs to answer how the leaked report is the same submitted to Calcutta High Court and how come she knows about our confidential report.
She needs to answer how the leaked report is the same submitted to Calcutta High Court and how come she knows about our confidential report: NHRC fact-finding team member Atif Rasheed on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that the committee leaked its report pic.twitter.com/tDr08j10W5
NHRC makes damning disclosures on spates of violence after the Assembly polls in West Bengal
Earlier in the day, OpIndia reported the details of the final report on the West Bengal post-poll violence which NHRC submitted in Calcutta High Court on Wednesday. In the report, the statutory public body made some damning disclosures regarding the spate of violence carried out with impunity by the TMC goons after Mamata Banerjee steered TMC to victory in the West Bengal assembly elections on May 2.
Castigating the state machinery for its appalling apathy towards the plight of victims, NHRC hinted at a dangerous politico-bureaucratic-criminal nexus in the state. It said that the spate of violence also attacked some pillars of democracy, including the rule of law, political pluralism and free, fair and secure polling.
NHRC was vexed that the victims were left on their own to protect themselves against the violation of their human and fundamental rights, including the right to life, liberty, dignified living and health.
It said that almost all the victims told the inquiry team that either the police did not respond to their phone calls or came and stood there like mute spectators while TMC goons went on a rampage from one place to the other. It said that the WB police were either negligent or under some sort of pressure not to take action against the goons belonging to the ruling party.
It is notable here that the NHRC has recommended a CBI and court monitored SIT probe of the post-poll violence cases, adding that the trial of the cases should happen outside Bengal.
Post-poll violence in Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal
During post-poll violence, over two dozen BJP karyakartas were reportedly killed. While Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal turns a blind eye towards the post-poll violence and abuse, several victimised women have come up to narrate horrific details of grievous bodily harm and sexual violence meted out at them allegedly by TMC cadres.
In a report submitted by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA), it was mentioned that those who suffered the wrath of TMC workers after winning the elections were from marginal sections of Hindu society who had voted for BJP.
The Calcutta High Court had on July 2, ordered the Kolkata police to file an FIR against those TMC goons who were involved in sectarian and political violence in the state post the electoral victory of TMC. It said that the FIR should be filed based on National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommendations.
Bollywood entertainer Swara Bhasker found his photographs ‘stunning dramatic captures’.
What a gifted soul you are @raihanrvadra … At such a young age you captured the Darkness hidden in Glamour, Power, Might & Tranquility… And beautifully explained through your work ‘Invisible Prison’ World dwells in
The level of talent is so damn high that Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint was this close to calling him the next big thing to hit the photography space.
Who is this Raihan Rajiv Vadra who is so immensely talented that everyone from national media to Bollywood is falling over backward praising his artwork?
Well, the 20-year-old is – wait for it – son of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra. That makes him: grandson of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, nephew of senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, great-grandson of former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and great great grandson of former Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.
It is being hosted at Bikaner House, Delhi, spread over an area of 8 acres. Originally, the residence of Maharajah of Bikaner, it is currently owned by the Rajasthan government, which is currently ruled by Congress. It was one of several houses built by the British govt for Indian kings for their stay in Delhi, like Patiala house, Hyderabad House, Jaipur House and Baroda House, all located around the India Gate Hexagon. Bikaner House was purchased by the Rajasthan govt after independence.
This is privilege.
I am a photographer. I have spent lakhs on photography equipment. I have spent months on a photography assignment for a mere few thousand rupees. Before I write about the photographs I have added here to show I have the eye of a good photographer, I would like to tell a little bit about the history of me becoming the owner of a camera followed by an amateur photographer and finally a professional one.
I starting my journey with a humble S5IS camera that I bought from the money I had saved from my part-time work during college. It took me only four months to mention “photographer” in my email signature that led to the realization that calling yourself one is not that easy.
I did not get any professional training in photography, nor I got a chance to do some courses. However, I was lucky enough to learn the basics and techniques of photography from some of the best in their field. My training for the basics was with a former captain in the Indian Army who is a professional photographer now. Someday, I would love to introduce him formally, but this is not the right time. When he saw “photographer” in my email signature, he called me and scolded me for good 20 minutes and made me understand that I had not yet earned the title. From 2007 to 2009, I was in his contact on and off, learning basic skills. I stood for hours holding up lights while he worked in his studio. It was tiring but rewarding.
From there, I learned tricks from many ace photographers who were humble enough to share their secrets. I checked YouTube tutorials, went on photo walks, did self assignments and even taught people how to click photographs. In 2010 when I bought my first DSLR (second hand), I realized I did not have money for lenses. Just buying a DSLR is not enough, you see. You must have a good set of lenses to make sure you can click photographs that suit your style. As I was not “rich” enough to spend tens of thousands on lenses, I followed the saying of one of my dearest teachers that “Photography equipment does not matter, the eye behind the camera matters.” While point and shoot S5IS gave me the power to play with macro, DSLR took away that power. It broke my heart. It still pains me that I could not buy a good macro lens even now.
But anyway, I could not and cannot go beyond what I can afford! So by playing with settings for hours, getting bitten by countless bugs, making friends with squirrels and birds, getting drenched with sweat and even losing some blood because I was not looking where I was going, I learned everything that I know now. If I click one photograph and it comes out good in the first click, it is not some luck, but it is years of training and trials. There was a time when I worked as a professional photographer. I was paid pennies and soon faced huge losses. That was a dark time. A member of a privileged family would not understand the pain of losing your faith in your own skills.
The point is, till the time you have used your camera roughly, got your clothes dirty while working in the field, clicked thousands of photographs till you understand the light and worked your way up in the ladder, it is not right to call yourself a photographer. To be honest, I prefer to call use ‘camera owner’ for the majority of the ‘photographers’ out there. Even if you were born with the ‘creative eye’, it takes years to perfect the skills and become a photographer. Interestingly, once you have perfected the skills, they get outdated, and you have to start all over again to learn what’s hot in the market! The journey never ends.
Every photograph has a story. The phrases “Photo is worth a thousand words” or “The photograph tells its own story” are just philosophies. The photographer must explain the photograph in their own words. Otherwise, it will become an empty canvas for anyone to narrate their own story. I have added five photographs here, and I would like to explain how they were clicked when they were clicked and how they are close to my heart.
The year was 2014. I was on an assignment in Shimla. It rained for two straight days, and the project almost got ruined as we could not get the photographs we needed and had to extend the stay for two additional days. On the third day, when I woke up early in the morning, this was the view from the terrace. I clicked on three photographs, and for the rest of the 30 minutes, I just stood there while watching the unbelievable beauty of the mountains. That day, for a moment, I thought things could get better in life, and this photograph gives me hope that things will be alright soon.
Shimla, 2014
The year was 2009. I was shifting my concentration towards macro photography. The closer I got to the bugs, the more exciting things I was able to find. I love shooting spiders with the camera. They are fascinating creatures but very hard to find. This little bundle of cuteness was seen while I was on a photowalk with a bunch of photographers. They all were interested in shooting portraits while I was looking for insects. I found this little one enjoying the feast on a marigold flower and just sat there clicking photographs. As it had rained that day, my clothes were all muddy. But hey! I found what I was looking for.
The bug that moved my heard, 2009
Self assignments are an essential part of honing the skills. From 2008 to 2010, I did five self assignments. Unfortunately, my hard drive crashed, and I lost almost 700 GB of high-resolution photographs. I do not have a single photograph in full resolution from that period, and it pains me. However, when I look at this photograph, it reminds me of the excellent time I had while going alone and shooting photographs. This photograph was clicked in the winter of 2009.
The symbol of struggle, 2009
Remember I said I did not have money for equipment back then? I still don’t have money to buy what I want. So how I clicked this photograph? It looks like it was clicked in a studio. Right? No. This photograph was clicked in bright sunlight on a black cloth that was draped on an old plastic chair that I had for over 10 years. This photograph is a reminder that I learned photography the hard way, and every time I see it, I feel proud of what I had achieved. You do not need high-end equipment for things you want to click. You need skills, determination and passion. And a lot of practice. Yes, money helps as after one point you would need the equipment, but till then do not stop yourself from trying just because there is no money.
The Skill Sharpener
Remember the former Captain of the Indian Army I talked about? He is a snake rescuer too! Yeah, I was that lucky! One fine day, he was called to rescue a baby rat snake. He was literally the smallest snake I had ever seen, and I thank my stars million times that I was with him that day. Before the snake was let off in the forest area, we clicked some photographs. Can you notice the light in the snake’s eyes? That is called the catch light. Look closer, it is not just the catch light but a reflection of the setting sun behind the mountains. YES, I WAS THAT LUCKY! With minimal equipment, I was able to shoot a photograph of the lifetime. But that luck does not come on its own. By the time I had a chance to click this shot, I had already spent over a year with the Captain. This was clicked in the year 2008.
The snake, 2008
Now the question is, will I ever get a chance to hold an exhibition on government property in Lutyens Delhi? Will I have national media covering my artwork?
Not to say Raihan is not talented. He may or may not be talented. But this is what privilege brings you. His association with The Family in India allows him to hold an exhibition at one of the premium places in India.
This is how nepotism is perpetuated. How having the blood of one of the most powerful families in India can beat talent and open an ocean of opportunities the lesser mortals like myself will never have.
Am I bitter? No, not at all. But am I a better photographer than Raihan Rajiv Vadra? Yes, I am.
With the Taliban making rapid advancements in Afghanistan after the US troops quietly abandoned the war-torn region, it is fast imposing its old and set of religious rules.
The Taliban insists that they will protect human rights particularly those of women but only according to “Islamic values”. The only condition- not following them would lead to unfathomable punishment.
Here are the set of rules imposed by the Taliban in the newly seized areas of Afghanistan.
Women cannot venture out alone
Shortly after capturing a district in northern Afghanistan, the Taliban issued the first set of orders in the form of a letter to the local imam.
Sefatullah, 25, a resident of Kalafgan district narrated, “It said women can’t go to the bazaar without a male companion, and men should not shave their beards,” said.
Similar orders were issued in Shir Khan Bandar, a northern customs post that connected the country to Tajikistan over a US-funded bridge that spanned the Panj river.
Sajeda, a woman who works in a local factory, in an interview to AFP said, “After Shir Khan Bandar fell, the Taliban ordered women not to step out of their homes.”
“There were many women and young girls doing embroidery, tailoring and shoe-making […] The Taliban’s order has now terrified us,” she added.
Just a few days of Taliban rule and Sajeda fled south to the nearby city of Kunduz.
“We will never be able to work in areas under the Taliban,” she said, “So, we left,” justifying her decision.
‘Marry your daughters to the Taliban’
As per a letter issued in the name of the Taliban’s cultural commission, villagers have been ordered to marry off their daughters and widows to the movement’s foot soldiers.
“All imams and mullahs in captured areas should provide the Taliban with a list of girls above 15 and widows under 45 to be married to Taliban fighters,” read the letter.
‘No smoking and shaving’
The terrorists have also issued a ban on smoking, and have warned that anybody violating the rules “will be seriously dealt with”, as per the locals.
Nazir Mohammad, 32, told the AFP that everybody has been ordered to wear a turban and no man is allowed to shave.
‘Nobody can leave home at night’
Validating the alleged social media rumours, in Yawan district on the Tajikistan border, the Taliban gathered residents at a local mosque after taking over.
“Their commanders told us that nobody is allowed to leave home at night,” confirmed Mohammad.
‘No wearing red and green’ and ‘no school for girls’
Mohammad further informed that people have been forbidden from wearing certain colours. “And no person — especially the youths — can wear red and green clothes,” he said, referring to the colours of the Afghan flag.
Additionally, “Girls attending schools beyond sixth grade were barred from classes,” the report said.
Taliban spokesperson denies claims
Wanting to maintain the image, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson of the Taliban said, “They are rumours spread using fabricated papers.”
“These are baseless claims,” he added.
Reign of Taliban
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan according to a hardline and radicalized interpretation of the Holy Quran from 1996 to 2001
Women were ordered to stay indoors unless accompanied by a male, girls were banned from school, and those found guilty of crimes such as adultery were stoned to death in the land ruled by the Taliban.
While men relatively had more freedom, they were even previously ordered not to shave, would be beaten if they didn’t attend prayers, and were told to only wear traditional clothing.
Taliban also prohibits watching television, imposes restrictions on smartphones or ban them. The move is to limit residents’ access to information and their ability to communicate or educate themselves.
Talking to the opposite gender or dressing “immodestly” attracts harsh punishments like lashing in the Taliban courts. Residents who criticize Taliban actions are beaten and even executed in some cases.
Ever since the anti-farm law rioters unleashed mayhem on the streets of the National Capital on 71st Republic Day, the Congress and its friendly media and journalists have tried their level best to whitewash the crime. The entire cabal kept repeating the same fake news about a ‘farmer’ dying in police firing during Republic Day insurrection. However, much to their dismay, a doctor panel, that studied the autopsy of rioter Navreet Singh as per court direction, has now confirmed that the rioter died of head and mouth injuries and not of a bullet wound. The injuries were caused when his tractor had met with an accident during the tractor rally.
The panel, which consisted of doctors from Maulana Azad Medical College studied the rioter’s post mortem report minutely before concluding that Navreet Singh did not die in police firing as claimed by many. The postmortem was conducted in Rampur. According to reports, the panel made the report after analyzing the X-ray, autopsy, and video of the incident.
The report, based on the post-mortem report and other medical documents, concludes that the death of Navreet was caused by serious injuries to the head and mouth, fracture of bones and excessive leakage of blood. It also says that there was no outside object like metallic radio-opacity.
The report makes it clear that the farmer protestor had died for the injuries caused by the accident of his tractor, and he was not shot by police or anyone else.
Navreet Singh died after his tractor overturned in Republic Day violence
24 years old Navreet Singh died on January 26, when anti-farm law protestors lay siege on the national capital after his tractor was overturned. Journalist Anurag Shrivastav had also shared the video of the incident which took the life of the victim. In the footage shared by him, several protestors could be seen driving their tractors at an extreme speed. In the video, it could be seen that a tractor had overturned on the other side of the road.
Delhi police had also issued a clarification soon after stating that the protestor died of injuries sustained by him after his tractor turned turtle. Delhi police’s clarification was confirmed by the postmortem report of the deceased protestor that stated that he had died of “shock and haemorrhage as a result of antemortem head injury”.
Congress and its friendly media spread lies that the rioter was killed by Delhi police’s bullet
Despite proof being out in the open, the vicious lobby did not refrain from spreading lies to absolve the rioters from the crime. Senior journalist at India Today, Rajdeep Sardesai was one of the first ones to share the fake news about a ‘farmer’ dying in police firing.
The leftist propaganda website like The Wire and The Caravan soon followed suit. The Wire, in one of its articles published on January 30, the media house insinuated that the protester who died during the Delhi tractor rally on Republic Day, had died of bullet injuries and not because of the injuries he sustained from the overturning of the tractor. The article further claimed that the victim’s relatives spoke to the doctor who carried out the autopsy who claimed that while there was bullet injury, ‘his hands were tied’, thereby insinuating that the UP government is trying to cover up. The Caravan also claimed of speaking to an eyewitness who confirmed to the media outlet that he saw police officials fire at Navreet.
And where there if lies, deceit and fake news, there is the Congress Party. Joining the bandwagon, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor rehashed the claim. Congress party did not, however, stop at this. Going a step further, Priyanka Gandhi along with other Congress leaders want to Rampur in Uttar Pradesh to meet Navreet’s family members. It continued to peddle the narrative that Navreet Singh died after being shot by the Delhi police.
FIRs filed against Tharoor, Sardesai and others for peddling fake news on death of Navreet Singh
Following the malicious lie, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and the Delhi police had filed cases against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Sardesai. The FIR filed by Delhi police also named journalists Paresh Nath, Anant Nath, Vinod K Jose, Mrinal Pande, and Zafar Agha. They were all held booked for creating disharmony and spreading false information regarding Navreet Singh’s death.
Bharatiya Janata Party is known for giving space to the unknown but hardworking faces in the political world. The latest example is Sonia, a member of BJP, who took charge as Block Chief of Baliakheri in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. She secured victory in the block chief polls that were held earlier this month. Interestingly, Sonia’s husband, Sunil Kumar, works as a sweeper in the same block.
The couple resides in Nalhera Gujjar village. Sunil works as a sweeper in the Baliakheri development block. When the elections were announced, the block chief post for reserved for the Scheduled Caste category. Sunil encouraged his wife to contest for the elections from ward number 55. To their surprise, Sonia secured victory in the BDC elections and later contested for block chief polls.
Sonia, who has done Bachelors in Arts, aims to work for the development of her village. She said that his husband and family supported her during the journey. After she won the election, the fight for becoming Block Chief begun. BJP was looking for an educated woman from the Schedule Caste for the seat. BJP leader Mukesh Chaudhary proposed Sonia’s name, and a consensus was reached among the party members.
Slowly, as BJP had backed Sonia, the rest of the contestants for the seat start to withdraw their name, and Sonia won the election of block chief unopposed. 26-year-old block chief said her husband would continue to work as a sweeper as his salary runs the house. Also, Sonia became chief for five years, but his job is till retirement.
Sonia and Sunil got married in 2014. They have two children. Other than husband and children, her mother-in-law and brother-in-law also live with them.
A controversial far-left NGO has raised objections against the Indian Army displaying its war cry at one of its regimental headquarters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, reports Times Now. According to the reports, a far-left self-proclaimed ‘activist’ group named the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations objected to the Indian Army displaying its battle cry – ‘Veeravel Vetrivel’ outside the 3rd Madras Regiment headquarters at Madukkarai near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
According to the NGO, the battle cry of ‘Veeravel Vetrivel’ is a religious slogan, and it should not be permissible in the Armed Forces.
#NewsAlert | National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations opposes ‘Veeravel Vetrivel’ slogan displayed at the entrance of Indian Army base in #Coimbatore. NCHRO says ‘religious slogan’ is not permitted in the Armed Forces.
“Vetrivel, Veeravel”, translated to “victorious spear, courageous spear”, is one of the oldest battle cries of the Indian Army, which is historically used as a war cry by Tamil warriors since ancient times. Vel is the holy spear of Murugan, the Hindu war deity.
Reacting to the objection of the NGO, the Public Relations Officer of the Department of Defence said the slogan had been at the Army Regiment in Madukkarai for ages and each regiment in the Army had such distinct victory slogans. “Vetrivel, Veeravel has been used by the Madukkarai Regiment and has no other connection”, the official clarified.
The Indian Army, a secular and non-political institution, has adopted slogans of every religion and also proudly displays them often. This slogan is among many battle cries of the Indian Army, which is also adopted by the Madras Regiment.
However, the obscure NGO – National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations, which has glorified anti-India propagandists and Naxal sympathisers such as Stan Lourduswamy aka Stan Swamy – an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, attempts to drag the Indian Army into its petty politics by communalising one of its battle cries.
Stan Lourduswamy, commonly known as Stan Swamy, was an undertrial prisoner in the Elgar-Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence case, died last week at a Mumbai private hospital. The far-left NGO, which has a problem with the Indian Army’s war cry, has referred to the death of Naxal sympathiser Stan Lourduswamy’s death as an ‘institutional murder’ and issued a stern warning to the Indian state that his death will not be forgotten.
The National Human Rights Commission submitted its final report on Bengal post-poll violence to the Calcutta high court Wednesday.
The statutory public body said in its report that, after visiting 311 spots in 20 days and carrying out an extensive inquiry in the matter, the seven-member committee constituted to probe the post-poll violence in West Bengal, concluded that the current situation of the state, is a manifestation of ‘Law of Ruler’, instead of ‘Rule of Law’. It added that the loss of faith in state administration among victims is very evident.
Attaching details of the same, the NHRC report stated that it collected a whopping 1979 number of complaints from 23 districts where incidents of violence had taken place post-Mamata Banerjee’s May 2 win. Most complaints are from Cooch Behar, Birbhum, Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas and Kolkata, said that NHRC report adding that most of the complaints related to rape, molestation and vandalism and were received through local sources in West Bengal while the team was camping there.
The statutory body added that a list of 57 complaints related to women was received from the National Women Commission.
Huge gaps in the cases registered by the WB police and complaints received by the committee: NHRC report on post-poll violence
Stating that the NHRC found huge gaps in the cases registered by the WB police as compared to complaints received by the committee, NHRC said that despite so many sensitive issues of rape and murder registered the percentage of accused arrested and in custody is abysmally low, showing the ineptness of WB Police.
Continuing to castigate the state machinery for its appalling apathy towards the plight of victims, NHRC stated that as of now, the WB police have arrested only around 1300 out of 9300 accused and even out of these 1300, 1086 are already out on bail.
Loss of faith in WB police
“Violence was retributive. It was in retaliation to those who ‘dared’ to vote or support the major opposition party. Victims were helpless and hopeless due to the torture and trauma,” said NHRC, furthering that “to add to the indignity were reports of instances where heads were tonsured or public apologies were made for having “erred” in supporting the major opposition party”.
Drawing attention to the apathy of the state police, NHRC wrote: “Poor and common people have lost faith in Police. Almost all victims informed the Inquiry Committee that Police either did not respond to their phone calls or came and stood as mere spectators while goons went on a rampage from one place to another.”
A snippet from the NHRC report
Police filed counter cases to intimidate victims, absolve accused: NHRC
It said that, in several instances, instead of getting any sort of justice, the poor victims were implicated in false cases by the police. The latter lodged counter cases and pre-dated the counter cases, in order to provide credibility to the version of the accused against the real victim and arrested the victims instead of the accused. It also highlighted that the state police, in its attempt to absolve the TMC goons of the crime and intimidate the accused, filed counter cases against the latter under graver sections of the law than the primary case.
A snippet from the NHRC report
It said that murder cases were registered as Unnatural death cases and pressurised the victims to seek a compromise with the accused.
WB police stood like mute spectators while TMC goons went on a rampage
It said that almost all the victims told the inquiry team that either the police did not respond to their phone calls or came and stood there like mute spectators while TMC goons went on a rampage from one place to the other. It said that the WB police were either negligent or under some sort of pressure not to take action against the goons belonging to the ruling party.
Post-poll violence hints at an existing politico-bureaucratic-criminal nexus
Besides criticising the state police, another important observation that the NHRC made was that neither senior officials nor political leaders condemned the violence, visited the spots, assuaged the victims or did anything substantive to ameliorate the problems.
Stating that the post-poll violence hints at a dangerous politico-bureaucratic-criminal nexus in the state, NHRC said that the spate of violence also attacked some pillars of democracy, including the rule of law, political pluralism and free, fair and secure polling.
NHRC was vexed that the victims were left on their own to protect themselves against the violation of their human and fundamental rights, including the right to life, liberty, dignified living and health.
It is notable here that the NHRC has also recommended a CBI probe of the post-poll violence cases, adding that the trial of the CBI case should happen outside Bengal.
HC makes scathing observations on the role of the Mamata Banerjee govt in the post-poll violence
It is pertinent to note here that after going through the NHRC committee interim report, the Calcutta High Court had made scathing observations on the role of the Mamata Banerjee government, noting that even though the administration was in denial mode, the post-poll violence was real.
The High Court made a shocking observation that the West Bengal government has made false statements that there were no complaints about violence after the assembly elections, and those were figments of the imagination of opposition parties. Contrary to the claim that nobody came forward with complaints about violence when an opportunity was given to people to file complaints with the state administration or the NHRC, the authorities were flooded with complaints.
Calcutta HC orders Kolkata police to file FIR against TMC goons based on NHRC interim report
The Courthad on July 2, ordered the Kolkata police to file an FIR against those TMC goons who were involved in sectarian and political violence in the state post the electoral victory of TMC. It said that the FIR should be filed based on National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommendations.
