The entire crowd control unit of Portland police resigned from the service a day after a grand jury in Oregon indicted an officer for allegedly using “unlawful force” on a protester.
According to the reports, the Portland Police Bureau said that members of its Rapid Response Team (RRT) resigned as a group on Wednesday following the indictment of a fellow officer. Nearly 50 officers, detectives, and sergeants have resigned from their posts, said acting Police Chief Chris Davis at a press briefing.
The members of the RRT, who are on a voluntary assignment, receive advanced specialized training to respond to incidents such as public-order policing as well as man-made and natural disasters. Their primary role is to provide crowd control at events including protests.
The officers, who resigned from the team, will now return to Portland police to continue their regular assignments, the bureau said in a statement.
The mass resignation came one day after officer an officer identified as Corey Budworth was charged by a Multnomah County grand jury for allegedly assaulting and “unlawfully” causing physical injury to a protestor at a rally on August 18, 2020, near the Multnomah Building in Portland. Budworth, who was a member of the RRT, has been placed on administrative leave.
Following the indictment of officer Budworth, District Attorney Mike Schmidt claimed that there was no legal justification existed for Officer Budworth’s deployment of force and that the deployment of force was legally excessive under the circumstances.
The indictment marked the first time that a Portland police officer faced prosecution for striking or firing at someone during a protest.
Portland police slam jury for indicting a police officer
Meanwhile, the Portland Police Association has slammed the judgement of the jury saying it as a “politically driven charging decision.”
In a Facebook post, the Portland Police Association said, “Unfortunately, this decorated public servant has been caught in the crossfire of agenda-driven city leaders and a politicized criminal justice system”. The association said that Budworth was trying to restore order during a chaotic night of burning and destruction when he was knocked to the ground while trying to clear demonstrators.
As an officer attempted to arrest one of the demonstrators, other protesters allegedly interfered. In his defence, Budworth used his police-issued baton to “push” a demonstrator, causing the person to fall to the ground, the union said.
“Thinking the person was going to get back up to re-engage, Budworth allegedly tried to push the person again with his baton but accidentally struck the person in the head,” the union said in its post.
Portland – the epicentre of left-wing riots in the US last year
Last year, Portland saw a series of riots following the death of George Floyd, an African-American who allegedly died after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.
The left-wing protestors unleashed riots in the city, which became the scene of unrest for months. The left-wing groups, anarchist, and Antifa protestors attacked police officials and supporters of the then US President Donald Trump during these riots. The Portland police had declared a riot in multiple such demonstrations and arrested several people during the course of those months.
During the riots that took place in Portland in August last year, police had said that the rioters had blocked traffic was blocked, who vandalised and set the Multnomah Building on fire. As police tried to disperse the crowd, they were struck with projectiles, the department had said in a release.
During the riots, a rioter identified as Teri Jacobs had claimed that she was hit by Budworth’s baton. She later filed a civil lawsuit saying that she was working as a photojournalist when the officer knocked her to the ground. The city had paid the lady a compensation of $50,000 early this year.
Even as the crisis in Punjab Congress continues, five Cabinet ministers have expressed stern disapproval to Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s decision of tweaking the rules to provide government jobs to sons of party MLAs. The ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, Charanjit Channi, Tript Rajinder Bajwa and Razia Sultana expressed their objection to the decision of the CM during a cabinet meeting held on Friday.
For at least half an hour, a source quoted by Times of India says, the ministers questioned the appointment of the sons of party MLAs and the unusual relaxation allowed to accommodate them. The case pertains to the appointment of sons of legislators Fateh Jung Bajwa and Rakesh Pandey as Inspector and Naib Tehsildar, respectively, on compassionate grounds by altering rules.
However, despite facing stiff resistance from his ministers, Captain Amarinder Singh nevertheless had his way and appointed the sons of the party MLAs to government jobs. The Punjab cabinet gave its approval to appoint Arjun Partap Singh as Inspector (Group B) in Punjab Police, Bhisham Pandey as Naib Tehsildar (Group B) in the revenue department. He had even reportedly asked the disgruntled ministers to move the court if they were unhappy with the appointment. Defending his move, CM Captain Amarinder Singh is believed to have pointed out that jobs were offered to deserving sportsmen and ex-servicemen too.
The ministers were against the arbitrary “pick and choose” for political considerations and demanded that the state government formulate a policy for such appointments instead. The ministers contended that such appointments set a wrong precedent. “What kind of message will this send to the youth of the state? The public perception is already against the Congress party. Such appointments only add to the public discontent. It will further dampen the prospects of the party in the upcoming elections,” a minister said.
Ministers unhappy over granting relaxations to accommodate affluent family members of MLAs
Both the MLAs had lost their respective fathers to terrorist attacks. Fateh Bajwa’s father, Satnam Singh Bajwa, was killed in a terrorist attack in Amritsar in 1987. Pandey’s father, Joginderpal Pandey, was also killed by terrorists in Ludhiana in 1987.
The dissenting ministers were particularly opposed to the appointment of Bajwa’s son, Arjun Partap Bajwa. They referred to the content of the FIR filed in 1987 and whether it goes against the proposal. They also highlighted four major relaxations in the case to accommodate the MLA’s son. Questions were also raised about the relaxations being granted after a period of 33 years as the applicants belonged to affluent families and the appointment of the inspector is not from the ‘D’ class of employees.
Shortly after the appointment of his son as Inspector, Fateh Jung Bajwa spoke in the favour of the Punjab Chief Minister. Bajwa is the younger brother of Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, who has opened a front against the Punjab Congress. On the other hand, Rakesh Pandey has also aligned with the rebel faction and extended his support to them. In political circles, the appointment is seen as a move to woo the leaders and undermine the rebel faction.
Applications for government jobs received after former CM Beant Singh’s son was appointed as DSP in Punjab Police
According to the sources, the applications for the government jobs were received shortly after Punjab Government in 2017 appointed former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s grandson as DSP in the Punjab Police on compassionate grounds by tweaking rules. The Punjab government had then drawn flak for promoting VIP culture in the state and appointing relatives of the ministers and MLAs to plum posting while shunting away the meritorious candidates.
Gujarat police have registered the first FIR in the state in a case of grooming jihad, under the newly-notified anti-conversion law and detained six people in connection with the case. The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, which prohibits forcible religious conversion by marriage, came into force on June 15. The Act provides stringent penal action against any individual or institution for forced religious conversion through marriage.
Based on the FIR, Gotri police station in Vadodara arrested a man from the Tarsali area named Samir Qureshi on Friday. The police have taken action based on a complaint filed by a 24-year-old Dalit woman for blackmailing, forced conversion and rape. According to the police, Qureshi had also hurled casteist abuses at the woman.
The woman alleged that she met the individual in February 2019 on a social media platform where he used a fake identity and lured her into a relationship. Police confirmed that Samir Qureshi had made his social media accounts under a fake name, Sam Martin.
Qureshi persuaded the victim into marriage by promising a ‘modern life’ post marriage. Later, he raped her on four occasions at a hotel as well as in the flat of a co-accused, police said.
The Dalit victim was also verbally abused with casteist slurs
The accused allegedly clicked her intimate pictures without her knowledge and then used those photos to blackmail her to marry him in a “nikah ceremony” and convert to Islam.
The woman, who was under the impression that Qureshi is a Christian, got to know about his faith a year back when a nikah ceremony was organised instead of a Christian wedding, the official said.
The police added that after the marriage, Qureshi first changed the victim’s name and then started forcing her to convert. He also verbally abused the victim with casteist slurs.
Based on her complaint, the police arrested Samir Qureshi and detained six people including his parents, sister, uncle as well as one of his accomplice who facilitated the alleged sexual assaults against the complainant.
Gujarat brings its stringent anti-conversion law into force
It is pertinent to note here, that Gujarat, along the lines of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and a few other states, brought into force the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 on June 15, after Governor Acharya Devavrata gave his consent to the Bill.
The new anti-conversion law would invite a jail term of five years and a Rs 2 lakh penalty on the forced conversion of young women. In case of a minor girl being converted, the punishment would go up to seven years in jail and a Rs 3 lakh penalty. Also, the religious conversion of women from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will invite a jail term of seven years. Any marriage done only with the purpose of religious conversion will be declared null and void by the court having jurisdiction under the provisions of the Act.
On Friday (June 18), Urban Dictionary sparked a furore on Twitter after it described Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati as an “unmarried pornstar”.
The crowd-sourced online dictionary had made the contentious tweet in response to a Twitter user (@Tenzin_21). According to the website, the top definition of Mayawati is “An unmarried pornstar. A woman who can do everything for power. Kanshi Ram’s secret wife and ex-girlfriend of Mulayam Singh.”
Screengrab of the tweet by Urban Dictionary
The definition was added by one Nazia Khan on May 4 last year.
Screengrab of the definition of Mayawati on Urban Dictionary website
Netizens demand action against Urban Dictionary
The tweet sparked outrage on social media, with netizens calling for the suspension of the online dictionary. The Print columnist Dilip Mandal, who has found himself surrounded by controversies in the past, tweeted, “Dear RS Prasad, this is very serious. Take strong action against the culprits. Twitter India, this is unacceptable. There must be some Indian guy behind this bot. Must be arrested. #SuspendUrbanDictionary.”
Hindu Ecosystem official wrote, “Political differences doesn’t mean you will abuse a women…Delhi Police, will you arrest the person behind this cheap mentality? #SuspendUrbanDictionary”
— Hindu Ecosystem official ਹਿੰਦੂ ਇਕੋਸਿਸਟਮ (@HinduEcosystem_) June 18, 2021
Another Twitter user emphasised, “Not surprised by the name, a woman named Nadia Khan has submitted the definition in urban dictionary, such a disgraceful comment on a woman by urban dictionary, jai bheem, jai meem is a meme in reality, see how much hate a muslim woman has for dalit woman.”
Not surprised by the name, a woman named Nadia Khan has submitted the definition in urban dictionary, such a disgraceful comment on a woman by urban dictionary, jai bheem, jai meem is a meme in reality, see how much hate a muslim woman has for dalit woman #SuspendUrbanDictionarypic.twitter.com/AeFCUsqKL5
— Monalisha painting (@Monalis07358214) June 18, 2021
A user tweeted, “This is a very condemnable talk for a woman (Mayawati ji) #ArrestNaziaKhan #SuspendUrbanDictionary.”
One Karamjot Singh tweeted, “This is too much bad language to describe a lady. This is Intolerable and we Shame on @urbandictionary for this bad behaviour. #SuspendUrbanDictionary”
— Karamjot Singh (Faridkot) (@Karamjot_Singh1) June 18, 2021
UP Police registers FIR, directs Twitter India to take action
Following the upheaval on the microblogging site, UP Police took cognisance of the matter. In a tweet, it said, “ADG Cyber Crime, UP Police has been directed to immediately register an FIR against urban dictionary for the derogatory & demeaning tweet. Twitter India is being notified for action against the handle at their end.”
ADG Cyber Crime, UPPolice has been directed to immediately register an FIR against @urbandictionary for the derogatory & demeaning tweet. @TwitterIndia is being notified for action against the handle at their end. https://t.co/krbeeJyUeU
In a sensational disclosure that could spark a major political row in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has claimed that the newly-coronated Kerala PCC President K Sudhakaran had once planned to kidnap his children.
According to the reports, speaking to reporters on Friday, Vijayan revealed that a former Congress local leader and Sudhakaran’s close friend had called on him at his house in Kannur many years back to warn him about a plan hatched by K Sudhakaran to kidnap his children. The Congress leader had cautioned Vijayan to be careful in the coming days.
The Kerala Chief Minister said that he did not tell anyone, including his wife, as it would frighten her, given his children were still going to school then.
“A Congress leader once met me and said that Sudhakaran was planning to kidnap my children. Sudhakaran’s colleagues themselves have levelled a number of allegations against him. TK Ramakrishnan, the former DCC president, had openly exposed Sudhakaran’s true character to Kerala,” he added.
Vijayan’s statement came after K Sudhakaran in a recent interview had attacked the two-time Kerala Chief Minister. Both Vijayan and Sudhakaran share a long history as they started their political career in the same city Kannur.
Vijayan was beaten up during college days, says Congress leader
In a recent interview, Lok Sabha MP and Kerala Congress President K Sudhakaran had said that during tensions at Brennen College at Thalassery in Kannur, the then Communist leader Vijayan was roughed up by them during a political clash in the campus. Both Vijayan and Sudhakaran were alumni of the Brennen College at Kannur.
However, Vijayan has denied Sudhakaran’s claim that the Congress leaders beat him in the past. Sharing his side of the story, Vijayan said that he was at the college to write exams during the said incident, and following his intervention, Left student workers pulled away Sudhakaran.
“Sudhakaran said things that were factually incorrect. I went to the college to put an end to the clash between KSF and KSU. I was not a student of Brennen college then. That was why that clash came to an end,” Pinarayi Vijayan added.
Vijayan also recollected another incident saying Congress leaders had made some adverse remarks against K Sudhakaran in the past.
Meanwhile, K Sudhakaran has refuted the allegations and said that he would be coming out with his fresh versions in a day or two.
The Congress-strongman from Kannur was recently appointed as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in a bid to revive the party, which was humiliated by the Communist Party-led Left Democratic Front in the recently held assembly elections. Sudhakaran, who hails from Kannur just as Vijayan, is pipped to challenge the two-times Chief Minister in the coming days.
Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal won with a thumping majority in the elections that took place in the year 2021. One would expect TMC to raise hell had they lost, but it seems that Mamata Banerjee is hell-bent on doubting the electoral process even after a victory. Only recently, Mamata Banerjee had filed a petition in the court demanding that the Nandigram results be re-evaluated.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has fired off a letter to the Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Rajesh Bindal objecting to the listing of her petition before Justice Kaushik Chanda. The petition pertains to the re-evaluation of the voting results in the Nandigram constituency, where she lost elections to her rival Suvendu Adhikari.
The counsel for the West Bengal CM, Sanjay Basu, claimed, “My client has the utmost faith in the Judicial system and the Majesty of this Court, however, there is a reasonable apprehension in the mind of my about the likelihood of bias on the part of the Honorable Judge for the following reasons.” The letter alleged that Justice Kaushik Chanda was an ‘active member of BJP’ and that the petition of Mamata Banerjee will have political ramifications. Basu urged the Court to reassign the case to another Judge to resolve the apprehension of bias against the West Bengal CM.
“Further, Justice Kaushik Chanda is yet to be confirmed as a permanent Judge of Calcutta High Court. My client’s (CM Banerjee) views were sought by the Chief Justice on the confirmation of Justice Chanda as a permanent Judge of the HC. My Client had conveyed her objections and reservations to such confirmation,” the letter added. Sanjay Basu said that the case ought to be reassigned to ensure public confidence in the Judiciary so that it did not appear that Justice Kaushik Chanda was a ‘Judge in his own case.’
TMC casts aspersions on the credibility of the Judge
During the hearing on Friday (June 18), Justice Kaushik Chanda fixed the date of the hearing to June 24 and directed the Chief Minister to be present. The Court had also sought information on whether the petition filed by Mamata Banerjee was in line with the Representation of People Act. Meanwhile, the official Twitter handle of the Trinamool Congress had shared two pictures of the Judge with BJP leader Dilip Ghosh.
Justice Kaushik Chanda is seen sharing a stage with BJP’s @DilipGhoshBJP. Unsurprisingly, he’s also the judge who has been assigned to hear the #Nandigram case.
As the Indian Judiciary system gets murkier day by day, will there be any justice in this case? Only time will tell. pic.twitter.com/eE0W8pzbfw
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 18, 2021
“Justice Kaushik Chanda is seen sharing a stage with BJP’s Dilip Ghosh. Unsurprisingly, he’s also the judge who has been assigned to hear the Nandigram case. As the Indian Judiciary system gets murkier day by day, will there be any justice in this case? Only time will tell,” the tweet read. TMC leader Derek O’ Brien had also highlighted 10 cases wherein Justice Chanda allegedly represented the BJP.
“See what we found. Matters where Justice Kaushik Chanda has appeared for the Bharatiya Janata Party before the Calcutta High Court. And now he has been assigned to hear the Nandigram election case. One big coincidence?” the tweet by Derek O’ Brien pointed out.
See what we found?
Matters where Justice Kaushik Chanda has appeared for the Bharatiya Janata Party before the Calcutta High Court.
And now he has been assigned to hear the Nandigram election case.
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) June 18, 2021
At the same time, TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed, “We have full faith in the judiciary… We don’t question Justice Chanda’s competency… but it raises questions regarding his neutrality.”
Interestingly, the TMC seems to not understand that before being the Judge, Kaushik Chanda was a senior advocate at the Calcutta High Court. If he had represented BJP in any matter, he did so in his capacity as a lawyer. After becoming a Judge, for a party to target him because of the cases he took up as an advocate reeks of either ignorance, malice, or both.
BJP rubbishes claims levelled by Mamata Banerjee
Dilip Ghosh, BJP West Bengal Chief and MP, pointed out, “Being a senior advocate at the Calcutta High Court, he was invited, and he attended programmes of our legal cell. I am not sure about the date, but it may be around 2015. What is wrong with it? Thereafter, he became the Additional Solicitor General. Being a senior advocate, he may have represented our party in cases. What is wrong with that? There are many advocates who attend programmes of political parties and fight cases.” He added that questioning his ‘neutrality’ as a Judge was wrong.
Ghosh emphasised, “Does this mean that a senior advocate can never be a Judge. The Speaker in the State Assembly is from Trinamool Congress, but we respect him for his position and neutrality.” BJP State legal cell President Partha Ghosh said that he was unsure whether the tweeted photograph was original or not. He refused to comment until the pictures are authenticated. Member of the legal cell, Priyanka Tibrewal, added that Justice Kaushik Chanda was never in the party or held any post within the BJP.
CPIM hits out at TMC for questioning the ‘neutrality’ of Calcutta High Court judge
While speaking about the matter, advocate and senior Communist Party MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya stated, “When one becomes a Judge, he has to take oath under the Constitution. The point is not what cases he fought as an advocate, but his role as a Judge. No one should question the neutrality of the Judge.”
It must be pointed out that Justice Chanda graduated from law college in 1997 and registered as an advocate on December 18, 1998. He was assigned the designation of ‘senior advocate’ on June 10, 2014. Between April 2015 and September 2019, Justice Satish Chanda served as the Additional Solicitor General of India. Thereafter, he was elevated to the Calcutta High Court as an Additional Judge on October 1, 2019.
The Uttar Pradesh police, investigating the Ghaziabad, Loni assault case, has recorded the statement of Parvev Gujjar, one of the accused in the case. Since Parvez is currently lodged in Dasna jail in another extortion case, the police took his statement in the jail itself. The accused has reportedly confessed to hitting occultist Abdul Samad Saifi. He told the police that he was angry as he felt that the tabeez (occult amulet) given to him by Saifi had backfired and he lost his unborn child because of it.
Parvez Gujjar rued that his wife was 6 months pregnant and after he took the amulet from the Muslim occultist, his unborn baby died. He added that since he had taken the occultist’s tabeez, things went awry. This enraged him, therefore he thrashed Abdul Samad Saifi.
He further said that at the time the incident took place there were many people present there. Parvez also reconfirmed that Abdul’s beard was chopped off by one Kallu.
According to a report by Zee News, Parvez Gujjar is lodged in jail since June 12 in an extortion case filed against him by Intezar, who also works as Abdul’s agent. Reportedly, there was a dispute between the two regarding some financial transaction, after which Intezar had filed a complaint against Parvev, based on which he was sent to jail.
Meanwhile, Ghaziabad police are searching for the absconding local Samajwadi Party leader Umed Pahelwan. According to the police, Umed’s last location was traced in Noida on the evening of June 17. By the time the police reached the spot to apprehend the SP leader, he had fled. Police are suspecting that since then, Umed has removed the SIM card from his phone and has been using the internet to contact his people. Police say that Umed’s mobile phone has been switched off, so his location is not available. Now the police are relying on Human Intelligence to track down the SP leader.
It is pertinent to note here that the SP leader Umed Pahalwan Idris, who appeared in a Facebook Live video alongside Ghaziabad assault victim Abdul Samad, had been booked by Ghaziabad police on June 17 for giving the incident of personal animosity a “communal colour”.
Samajwadi Party leader Umed Pahalawan takes U-turn
Interestingly, the SP leader, who reportedly made the victim of assault say that he was forced to chant Jai Shri Ram, took a complete U-turn while speaking with Zee News. He denied being aware of any religious angle in the incident. He further denied knowing anything about the ‘tabeez’ (occult amulet), for which even one Bauna Saddam had hired the services of occultist Abdul Samad Saifi. He also declined of being aware that Abdul Samad was attacked by a group of people that included Muslims too. In fact, he lamented that he was being targeted since he wears a skullcap and has a beard.
For the unversed, the Samajwadi leader had done a Facebook Live video on June 7 alongside Ghaziabad assault victim Abdul Samad, in which he falsely castigated Hindus for beating up the elderly victim, chopping off his beard and forcing him to chant Jai Shri Ram slogans.
Umed Pahalwan Idris, who was seen doing most of the talking on behalf of the victim, gave the incident a communal spin by claiming that Hindus attacked Samad. Using extremely abusive and crass language, the SP leader had issued open threats to Hindus who he claimed had attacked Abdul Samad.
Facebook live video by Umed Idris used by ‘liberals’ to communalise a petty fight to defame ‘Jai Shri Ram’
This Facebook live had got the ball rolling for the so-called secular liberals who lapped up the video to peddle their favourite ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ narrative. The left-leaning brigade rushed to communalise the incident of personal animosity to defame the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant which is sacred to Hindus.
This video along with one another muted video (which now stands deleted) of the incident where the victim was being assaulted was shared on social media handles by people like Alt News co-founder Muhammed Zubair and several others namely Rana Ayyub, The Wire, Salman Nizami, Maksoor Usmani, Sama Mohammad and Saba Naqvi. Zubair claimed that Abdul was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as he was beaten up and tried to give the incident a communal angle.
On the very same day, Ghaziabad police uploaded a video apprising of the case giving relevant details and kept the social media users updated with the development thereon.
Taking cognizance of the matter, the Uttar Pradesh government filed an FIR on June 15 against Twitter for failing to flag the video with unverified claims as ‘manipulative’ and lack of action.
Ghaziabad police sends legal notice to Twitter India MD for provoking communal unrest
Yesterday, the Ghaziabad police sent a legal notice to Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari. Accusing Twitter India of “provoking communal unrest”, the UP police directed Maheshwari to report to a police station at Loni Border near Delhi and record his statement within the coming 7 days.
The UP police have written to Twitter India seeking details of accounts who first shared the misleading video. It asked the microblogging site to provide the name, user ID and the IP addresses of those handles which shared the video.
Speaking further on the matter, Ghaziabad SP Iraz Raja told Mirror Now that the 7 others who were named in the FIR would be served legal notices shortly. “That is under process. We are first taking it up with Twitter, then the other 7 Twitter users would be served notices”, said the Ghaziabad SP.
This is not the first time Islamist apologists and so-called liberals have tried to portray a random petty crime as hate crime. Here is a list of 20 such recent incidents where claims that a person from Muslim community was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram‘ have turned out to be fake. This is an indicative list and real figure would be much higher.
A massive political row has erupted in Andhra Pradesh over the installation of a statue of tyrant ruler Tipu Sultan in Proddatur town in Kadapa district.
According to the reports, the Andhra Pradesh government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy has arrested several BJP leaders for protesting against the state government over the installation of the Tipu Sultan statue. On Friday, police arrested BJP state general secretary Vishnuvardhan Reddy and other party leaders for protesting against the government’s decision.
BJP leader and Andhra Pradesh in-charge Sunil Deodhar took to Twitter to condemn the arrest of BJP leaders by the Andhra Pradesh government. The Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan, projected by certain political parties as a ‘secular’ leader, is accused of killing thousands of Hindus and demolishing Hindu temples.
I condemn the arrest of @SVishnuReddy & other @BJP4Andhra Leaders by CM @ysjagan for protesting against the illegal installation of devilish Islamic tyrant #TipuSultan‘s statue,Who killed thousands of Hindus & demolished hundreds of Temples. https://t.co/PmFvWfSZtS
Reportedly, the YSRCP MLA Rachamallu Siva Prasad Reddy had promised to install the statue of Tipu Sultan in Proddatur after several members of the Muslim community demanded him for the installation of such a statue.
However, the decision of YSRCP MLA has met with strong opposition as BJP leaders have warned against such installation and have said that they would demolish the structure if built. Meanwhile, the YSRCP has ignored the protests and has continued with the installation of the statue of the 18th-century tyrant of Mysore in Proddatur.
Why is Karnataka govt pulling down statues? asks YSRCP MLA
Speaking to the media, YSRCP MLA Rachamallu has defended the decision, asking if Tipu Sultan was really the tyrant and Hindu oppressor, why has the BJP government in Karnataka has not pulled down Tipu’s statues installed in the state.
“If it can be proved that Tipu committed such religious atrocities, I will express regret and disassociate from the project,” the YSRCP MLA said, who attended the foundation ceremony earlier this week.
BJP leader Vishnuvardhan has accused the YSRCP of indulging in vote bank politics at the cost of communal harmony. The BJP has said Tipu’s image could cause communal tensions in the state and added that the government should instead instal the statue of former president APJ Abdul Kalam statue in the town centre.
Not just BJP, even traders and civil society are against the installation of the Tipu Sultan. Busetty Rammohan, vice-president of AP gold and diamonds merchants association, said that they were not favouring a statue of Tipu, who has reportedly butchered Hindus. We will raise our objections if the work advances, he added.
Village Kasar in Bahadurgarh of Jhajjar district of Haryana is Brahmin dominated hamlet. Mukesh, 42, was a resident of this village. He had succumbed to burn injuries after fellow farmer protestors allegedly set him ablaze at the Tikri border protest site on Wednesday. Villagers say that this was a conspiracy to make him appear a ‘martyr’ against the farm laws.
Kasar village is on Delhi-Hisar road. When one moves towards Hisar from Delhi, one side of the road at the Tikri border is squatted by farmer protesters. They have built tents on roads and are currently residing there. Kasar village is on a road adjacent to this highway, known as bypass.
A road separates from the bypass which leads to Kasar village. There are fields on both sides of this road. A township project of Omaxe is underway nearby. There is a gymnasium at the start of the village. There are ponds, and a large field too. After this begins the settlement, in which one of the streets is the house of 70-year-old Jagdish Chandra. Jagdish Chandra is Mukesh’s father. When OpIndia reached this village on Friday (18 June 2021), a blanket of eerie silence swept the place. The villagers were still in shock over the horrifying fate of Mukesh.
When we tried to talk to grieving father, Jagdish Chandra, regarding the unfortunate incident, he refused to face the camera. Weeping bitterly, he painfully wondered about the future of Mukesh’s family. Mukesh is survived by his wife Renu and 9-year-old son Rahul. Mukesh was the eldest of three brothers. Jagdish Chandra is not as fortunate as the ones who are sitting on protests around the Delhi borders. His family does not have a piece of land to be put to use for agriculture. Chandra’s sons did odd works to feed their family. Mukesh worked as a driver. Because of the lockdown, Mukesh was idle and had no work. Thinking about his son who was burnt alive, Chandra says, “All I want is that those guilty should be punished and the government should take care of Mukesh’s family.”
‘Agitators burnt my son’: Mukesh’s mother
OpIndia talked to the bereaved mother, who is still finding it hard to come to grips with the reality that her son was allegedly killed by agitators pretending to be fighting for the rights of farmers. Shakuntala, Mukesh’ mother remembers her son left the house on Wednesday evening for a walk to the nearby field. When we asked her who killed her beloved son, Shakuntala says the protesters killed him. Mukesh had that evening gone for a walk to the nearby field, where farmers protesting against the three farm laws had put up their tents.
‘Sprayed petrol on my husband and set him on fire’: Mukesh’s widow Renu
Mukesh’s widow Renu said she was informed about the godawful incident by her brother-in-law. She says her husband was in good spirits when he left the house on Wednesday evening at around 5 pm. Renu says her husband even told her to prepare food as he would be back soon. She had asked him to take his mobile phone along with him, but he refused, saying he is going to return soon.
Surmising about the sequence of events that led up to her husband’s brutal murder, Renu says, “He might have gone there. Those people would have offered him alcohol and when he was in an intoxicated state, they sprayed petrol on him and set him on fire. He has sustained severe burn injuries. With whom shall I live now? We have a small child, who will support him now?”
When we asked Renu if Mukesh was a frequent drinker of alcohol, she said, “He used to drink but so much as to harm himself. These Sardar folks are lying, they have done this thing. These people are not farmers. These people are criminals. They are perpetually drunk and always under the influence of alcohol. It’s been a year, these people are not going from here. They have created chaos over here.”
On being asked if there was any dispute with the protesters before, Renu denied saying she was not aware of any disagreement with them. “I expect the government to punish the criminals. Whoever has done this to me should be punished. If the culprits are not brought to justice, I will go there and immolate myself. I will not come under anyone’s control. I will not forget this incident. Today, it has happened with my husband, tomorrow it will happen to someone else. For how long will anyone tolerate them?” Renu asked.
Mukesh’s younger brother Manjeet says a man from his village works at a petrol pump. He was the first to inform them about the incident at around 9 pm on Wednesday night. Manjeet says when they rushed to the spot, they found Mukesh with severe burn injuries. They took him to Civil Hospital Bahadurgarh and then to PGI Rohtak, where Mukesh died. Manjeet says, “At the civil hospital, we asked who was responsible for his condition. He told us there were three or four men. They had stopped him and warned him that they will “collectively” send him home.
Farmers put up tent near the highway close to Kasar village
‘The administration should remove this disease which is lying on the road’
For Manjeet, who lost his brother, those protesting at the Delhi borders are not farmers. He says farmers don’t wield sword and kill others, they plough their fields and feed the nation. According to Manjeet, Mukesh might have been murdered in the name of ‘martyrdom’ against the farm laws. He says the incident has left deep scars on the people of the village and everyone is angry with the so-called protesters. He further added that a one-week ultimatum has been given to the administration. Manjeet warns that if the perpetrators are not brought to justice then there will be a one-to-one fight with the protesters.
Manjeet, however, says his family is satisfied with the role of the administration in this matter so far. At the same time, he says they do not want to link this matter to caste and religion. All they want is that the guilty should be punished. “This is a disease which is lying on the road. If the administration does not remove it, many innocent lives will be lost,” Manjeet said while referring to the protesting farmers.
Speaking to OpIndia, the sarpanch of the village, Tony Kumar, said he received information about the incident at around 9 pm on Wednesday. He says, “Mukesh was badly burnt when I reached the spot. When we were taking him to Civil Hospital Bahadurgarh, he told us that a farmer sprinkled petrol on him and another one lit a matchstick. He also told their names. Krishna, Pradeep, Sandeep.”
Sarpanch says Rakesh Tikait responsible for triggering caste violence
The sarpanch further explains, “After taking Mukesh to the hospital, I came to the farmers’ tent and called after Krishna. A man came out who was in an inebriated state. When I told him Mukesh named him for setting him on fire, Krishna responded back with a casteist slur.” After this incident, Tony Kumar took to Facebook and claimed that Mukesh was targeted for being a ‘Brahmin’.
When OpIndia asked him why he believes that Mukesh was attacked because of his caste, the sarpanch said that he has a video of Krishna admitting that Mukesh was targeted because he was a Brahmin. Kumar also claims that BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is the mastermind of the entire conspiracy. Kumar cites Tikait’s anti-Brahmin remarks he had made in December 2020. “When their leaders spew venom, those below them are expected to do the same thing. I strongly suspect a conspiracy behind the death of Mukesh, orchestrated by the protesters to defame the government,” Tony said.
‘These are butchers, not farmers’: Village head Tony Kumar
Following the incident, Tony Kumar said that he does not want any farmer leader to come to their village. “These are butchers, not farmers. The administration is fully cooperating with us. We have given a week’s time for the removal of the tents put up by the farmers. If they are not removed in a week, we will take law into our own hands,” Kumar said.
The road from the bypass that leads to Kasar village
Kasar village’s contribution to ‘farmers’ protest
When inquired about how the Kasar village is supporting the alleged farmers’ agitation, Tony responded that they fulfil the responsibility entrusted to them by the village khap. The main task, he says, is to collect donations from the village and give it to the ‘agitators’. Mukesh’s brother Sanjeet admitted to pooling money in the village for the ‘protesters’. However, the people in the village have refused to actively participate in the protests.
As per Tony, despite provocative statements made by Rakesh Tikait, the villagers have donated to the cause of the farmers. He says, “We don’t want to spoil the atmosphere. We want to maintain brotherhood. But they are trying to vitiate the atmosphere. Complaints of agitators harassing the people after getting drunk in the evening have become fairly common here.”
Villagers accuse protesters of molesting women
In the complaint given to the administration (copy of which is with OpIndia), the villagers have said, “For the last 6-7 months, the alleged farmers have created a ruckus on the road adjoining village Kasar. They come to the village and create chaos after drinking alcohol. They ride on tractors, molest women, and bully others. They should be removed from the periphery of village Kasar with immediate effect.”
Did Mukesh commit suicide?
Kisan Ekta Morcha has released a vague video claiming that Mukesh was troubled by homelessness and committed suicide. Mukesh’s family and the people of Kasar have rubbished this claim. Everyone has only one question: when the incident happened on Wednesday night, why was the video released after so long? The family says they have the last-minute video statement of Mukesh, which clarifies what happened to him.
Sarpanch Tony Kumar asks if Mukesh was not troubled when he left his house, then why did he go and set his own tent on fire? When he left the house, he had no money to buy liquor or petrol. Mukesh’s brother Sanjeet also says that he has a video of his brother’s statement, while the video released by farmers’ organizations is not genuine. Mukesh’s wife Renu claims that the voice in the video released by the Kisan Morcha is not of her husband. She says, “We were together for ten years. Won’t I recognize his voice?” Shakuntala also claims that the voice in the video released by farmer organizations is not that of her son.
Besides a horrifying tragedy that befell Mukesh, it is worth noting that farmer protests have also come under criticism for instances of rape and molestation being reported from the protest sites. On Republic Day this year, the entire country witnessed how the so-called protesters stormed the national capital and ran riot under the pretext of carrying out a peaceful tractor rally. It is not just Mukesh or his relatives that have suffered from the farmers’ protests. This pain is shared by people living in the villages close to the protest sites. Perhaps, villagers are persistently worried as to becomes the next victim of this conspiracy.
The Central Government has told the AAP Government in Delhi that it is in violation of section 12 of the National Food Security Act, 2013. The Central Government has said that the Delhi Government has not operationalized the Electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at the fair price shops.
The Union Government said in its communication, “By not operationalising ePos devices at the FPSs (for transparent distribution of foodgrains), GNCTD is in violation of Section-12 of the Act. Reforms under TPDS are mandated under the Act to promote transparency and rightful targeting.”
Source: Suresh Nakhua. BJP Mumbai spokesperson
The letter continued, “In this connection, this Department has been continuously pursuing the implementation of ePoS distribution of foodgrains from all FPSs of Delhi for the last three years. More than 12 letters/DOs have been written to GNCTD from all levels in this department. However, the distribution of foodgrains in Delhi is still being done using old/manual register-based mechanisms.”
The letter by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs also mentioned that the non-compliance of the same is still blocking the implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) policy.
One week previously, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back at Arvind Kejriwal, calling his scheme of doorstep delivery of ration nothing but a “jumla”. In a press conference previous Friday, Ravi Shankar Prasad tore into Arvind Kejriwal accusing his government in Delhi of being under the control of the ‘ration mafia’ and claimed that the proposal to deliver subsidised ration to people’s homes is nothing more than a publicity stunt to promote a “scam”.
He asked that if Kejriwal is actually concerned about his people then why hasn’t he implemented Centre’s ‘One nation, One ration card’ scheme in Delhi. Prasad slammed the Delhi CM saying that until now, 34 state and Union territories have implemented the scheme.
