Home Blog Page 4231

Culture of political violence in West Bengal: How the Islamist challenge can turn an already very bad situation into much worse

K Bhattacharjee
-
0
Culture of political violence in West Bengal: How the Islamist challenge can turn an already very bad situation into much worse

The outbreak of political violence in West Bengal shows no signs of abating. Political violence against opposition party workers in the state by goons of the ruling Trinamool Congress peaked right after trends on results day showed a comprehensive Trinamool victory and lasted for about a week.

Since then, the violence has continued on and off with more workers of the BJP reported dead in the state. Communal violence was also reported at Tiljala recently with the vandalisation of a Hindu Temple also being reported. It is not clear whether the communal violence is in any manner connected to the ongoing political violence in the state.

With murders reported left, right and center, and the exodus of BJP supporters from the state, the culture of political violence in the state has received greater focus. But it is not a phenomenon that has begun recently. It goes as far back as to the years right after independence.

The culture of political violence

The immediate years after independence witnessed the influx of a great number of Hindu refugees from then East Pakistan. The sudden influx of the huge number of Hindu refugees overwhelmed the state machinery and the then government was unable to provide them with basic ameneties.

The central government at the time under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was not particularly sympathetic to the incoming refugees from East Pakistan and that only served to exacerbate the already difficult situation.

Soon, the Left parties began to organise the Hindu refugees under their banner and mounted a challenge to the ‘Eviction of Persons in Unauthorized Occupation of Land Bill’ in 1951, popularly known as the Eviction Bill. The Bill was formulated to evict the refugees who had occupied public and private lands to settle down in Kolkata.

March 1951 onwards, rallies, meetings and public demonstrations became part and parcel of the everyday urban life which eventually culminated with the original bill being considerably amended. The refugees later protested against several other measures such as the policy to disperse them from Kolkata to less populated areas and the proposal to increase tram fare by 1 paise.

West Bengal’s complicated history with protests

West Bengal was hit with a near-famine situation after a failure in crops in 1959. The Price Increase and Famine Resistance Committee (PIFRC), a platform for Left political parties, organised protests calling for food.

Prafulla Chakrabarty wrote, ‘The united Left was now in a position to mobilize the encapsulated refugees and the petty bourgeoisie at a moment’s notice; it could also rely upon the majority of the working class to respond favourably to a strike call. But what was new in the autumn of 1959 was the presence in Calcutta and its immediate neighbourhood of thousand peasants who could be thrown into the struggle.’

The protests were met with police force and the number of dead was speculated to be between 39 and 80. Seven years later, in 1966, another round of food protests would hit the state. This was to be more violent with far reaching implications for Bengal politics.

It set the stage for the Naxalite movement which began in 1967. Led by charismatic figures such as Charu Mazumder, the rebels believed in ‘armed resistance’ as a means of revolution. The movement also saw the participation of students from numerous universities.

Ultimately, the Government would crush the protests with force but the movement continues to dominate pockets of the country to this day. Through these years, what became entrenched was the culture of political violence and the violence was intrinsically political in nature and not communal.

The culture of violence perpetuated by the Left Front

The Left Front rose to dominance on the back of violent tactics as mentioned earlier. One of the most ghastly incidents of violence came to be known as the Sainbari Massacre. The Sain family was a supporter of the Congress party and the Communists in the area wanted them to flip.

Upon their refusal, the Sain family was attacked brutally and murdered in open. The mother was fed rice soaked with the blood of her son. Years later, the surviving members of the family is yet to receive justice and the Congress party is in alliance with the Left Front in the state.

Apart from that, there was also the attack on the Ananda Margis when the monks were lynched in broad daylight. The Left Front, consequently, exercised complete dominance over the state machinery and the domination continued well into the first decade of the 21st century.

Trinamool Congress continues the legacy of the Left Front

Mamata Banerjee rose to power after combating the state sponsored violence of the Left Front. She herself suffered the brunt of it when she was dragged by her hair and beaten up by the Police when she led a rally to the erstwhile secretariat.

In 1990, she was hospitalised for a month after being hit on the head by a Youth CPI(M) leader. There were other occasions when she was attacked in a bloody turf war between the Trinamool Congress and the Left Front. Multiple Trinamool workers also lost their lives to the same.

Since coming to power, her party has only carried forward the legacy of the Left Front. Murders of political adversaries in the state are rampant. While there were those who genuinely hoped that she would bring the cycle of violence to a halt, it was not to be.

Unique features of political violence in West Bengal

The culture of political violence in the state in unique in many aspects. The violence is driven primarily by party association and not religion or caste or tribal loyalties as in certain other regions of India. This violence continues regardless of who is in power, only the party affiliations of those being attacked changes.

There are good reasons for this. The unique conditions of West Bengal a mentioned earlier led to a situation where party affiliation acquired greater prominence in the administration of the state than religious identity.

As is the characteristic of Communism dominated states, political persecution is the norm of the day rather than religious or caste. Targeted attacks based on religion does occur, for sure, but it is a consequence of perceived threats to political power.

In West Bengal, as a consequence of Communist politics, the party dominates the state machinery. And there exists vestiges of the hierarchy that operate outside the domain of the state machinery but exert great influence on administration.

Trade Unions, for example, are significant institutions which affect administration and policy. Political parties combat with each other for control of these unions. Simultaneously, the implementation of government policy and welfare initiatives also depend on individuals associated with the ruling party.

Thus, it is very easy for ruling parties to block citizens they perceive to be against party interests from receiving benefits of the welfare initiatives of the government. There also exists a ‘club culture’ in West Bengal where clubs in every locality are responsible for welfare work there.

Such clubs lean towards one party or the other and exercise significant control over the administration. Political parties contest for control over these clubs as well. On voting day, these clubs can often decide the fate of the party.

The political violence that occurs is often a consequence of political rivalries at the local level. And it would continue regardless of who is in power in the state. Leaders at the top would fail to curtail it even if they seriously desire to bring it to a halt. And there is no inclination as yet that Mamata Banerjee wants the cycle to end.

The Islamist challenge

There is a serious threat that the cycle of violence can be hijacked by Islamists to achieve their sinister ends. If Islamists succeed in capturing the unions and the clubs at the local level, they can already use the structure in place to pursue their objectives.

It does appear to have occurred in certain pockets but there is no clear evidence as yet that it is the case in overwhelming regions of the state. Since the BJP is effectively a party of Bengali Hindus in the state, the victims of political violence in the state have been primarily individuals who happen be Hindus.

But there is no evidence as yet that the current spate of violence is a targeted campaign against Hindus in the state. As evidence, there have been visuals of Hindu workers of the TMC looting a shop owned by a Muslim affiliated to the BJP as well.

Furthermore, Muslim workers of Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui have also reportedly been killed in the ensuing spree of violence. Thus, while the political violence is not yet a pogrom against Hindus specifically, the institutional capture of organisations by Islamists can very well happen in the near future with their increasing influence in Bengal politics.

Therefore, the already very bad situation in the state could turn infinitely worse. It is for this reason that it is imperative that reasonable heads prioritise the formulation of a solution to the menace that currently exists.

Watch: People climb atop tankers to avoid queues as water crisis worsens in Delhi

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Watch: People climb atop tankers to avoid queues as water crisis worsens in Delhi

As the water crisis in the National Capital worsens, locals in the Vivekanand Camp in the Chanakyapuri area were seen climbing atop the water tank instead of waiting in queues.

In a video shared by news agency ANI, a large group of women was seen waiting on the footpath with water vessels. When the water tanker of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) reached the Vivekanand Camp, a few of them climbed atop the water tanker with complete disregard for their safety. They then put in pipes to fill their buckets.

The desperate situation, caused due to the water crisis, led to overcrowding around the water tanker. People were also spotted without masks and violating social distancing guidelines amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.

Reportedly, the water crisis in the area has led to people lining up in long queues waiting for water tankers. The situation is similar in Sanjay Camp of the Chanakyapuri area. The residents are forced to wait for over 5 hours for water, while only 4-5 water tankers come for 15,000 people. Locals also said that while the tankers come twice a day, there is no fixed time for the same. Therefore, they are forced to wait for hours for the tankers.

Locals said that if they stay indoors, they won’t know when the tanker comes and even a five minutes delay will mean they will not get water. To avoid that, they keep waiting outside till the tankers come.

Amidst the rising temperature in the National Capital, people are left rendered by the Delhi administration. Meanwhile, a war-of-words have started between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the water crisis.

Earlier on June 5, the Delhi Jal Board had informed that areas including Inderpuri, Mayapuri, Todapur Village, Naraina Village, Naraina Vihar, Krishi Kunj, Mansarovar Garden, Rajouri Garden, Subhash Nagar, Ramesh Nagar, Hari Nagar, Kirti Nagar, HMP colony, and Punjabi Bagh would face water shortage due to repair work. It had urged the people to save adequate water.

How a ‘liberal’ filmmaker went from criticising Rahul Gandhi to saying ‘I am on your side’ and what it shows

Nirwa Mehta
-
0
How a ‘liberal’ filmmaker went from criticising Rahul Gandhi to saying ‘I am on your side’ and what it shows

‘Liberals’ in India take pride in imaginary conversations they have in their minds which they call ‘speaking truth to the power’. They also like to believe that all things that go wrong with them are the side effects of these imaginary conversations. Except, this ‘standing up against fascism‘ rule goes for a toss whenever the ruling party is non-BJP. In which case, they’d stand with the corrupt and convicted politicians serving jail term only because they are in opposition.

‘Liberal’ filmmaker Hansal Mehta on Saturday kicked up a storm after he lowkey pretended to criticise Rahul Gandhi and the lack of democracy in Congress.

Mehta’s tweet came just days after Jitin Prasada quit Congress to join the BJP triggering so-called criticism where everyone worth their biscuits asked Congress to reevaluate why such tall leaders are quitting the party.

Except, Mehta’s ‘rebellion’ was not taken rightly by Congress-supporting-neutral journalists.

Apparently, if the dissenting Congressis within Congress don’t have the strength to take on Rahul Gandhi, how will they even take on the BJP?

Other independent filmmakers and ‘journalists’ too chimed in to accuse Mehta of giving ‘faltu advice’ for Congress and not BJP.

More such pearls of wisdom were exchanged where Mint columnist Salil Tripathi inadvertently ended up comparing opposition leaders to a lamppost.

Soon enough, official Congress workers, too, joined in to question Mehta for questioning Rahul Gandhi.

Gaurav Pandhi attacks Mehta

Mehta was questioned about his professional decision to act as Creative Producer to The Accidental Prime Minister, the political drama based on Sanjaya Baru’s book of the same name which spoke about India under UPA era and how Dr Manmohan Singh, the then Prime Minister of India was a victim to Congress’ dynastic approach.

However, upon being shown his place, Mehta quickly acknowledged the mistake of being associated with the film. After all, ‘I am on your side’.

But why this sudden discussion on Congress leadership? Well…

Congress worker Gaurav Pandhi attacking Hansal Mehta

When a visibly irritated Mehta replied slightly rudely, he got another round of scolding from ‘neutral’ journalists. But then Mehta clarified on how will Congress manage to win 2024 if the party does not introspect and reinvent itself?

You see, this is how it is.

Congress and their loyalists are still not able to get over the shock of not only losing 2019 elections, but BJP outperforming them and itself from the previous term. Something that was ‘rightfully theirs’ was taken away not once, but twice. That it might happen a third time is now making them nervous.

This ‘liberal vs liberal’ mock fight is just that. Gentle nudges to try to wake up the emperors because, well, at this rate, Rahul Gandhi will also lose Wayanad next elections.

This ‘Rahul Gandhi/Congress must introspect’ is a tirade that comes up every few months whenever someone leaves the party. Remember, this did not come when Congress was left with a big fat zero in West Bengal elections, where BJP made significant progress against ruling TMC. Despite Congress not winning a single seat and BJP going from 2 seats in previous elections to primary opposition party, it was the BJP that was painted as the ‘losers’.

Defeating the BJP somehow appears to be the bigger goal than getting Congress to win.

But with BJP out of power, the Congress ecosystem will be back at putting these intellectuals where they wish to go, like heading some film school somewhere be made in charge of some department somewhere. Which is what they crave. Which is why they want the Congress back in power.

Not because they think Rahul Gandhi or any other Congress leader for matter is a brilliant and able administrator, but because it will only be under Congress their ecosystem will thrive unquestioned.

Ayodhya to be developed as a religious, Vedic and solar-powered sustainable city, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Ayodhya to be developed as a religious, Vedic and solar-powered sustainable city, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that the state government will develop Ayudhya as a religious, Vedic and solar city with world-class facilities. Laid on a historical, cultural and spiritual foundation, Ayodhya is all set to become a global tourist destination while being a sustainable city.

The announcement was made during a presentation on the vision document of Ayodhya at the Chief Minister’s official residence on Saturday. Yogi Adityanath emphasized that the work for the conservation of water bodies, intelligent traffic management system, animal protection, outer ring road and other road projects, solar projects, tree plantation and new employment opportunities amongst others should be initiated on priority. 

Based on Sanatan traditions, the city will bring to the fore the ancient culture, heritage and traditions while incorporating sustainable modern facilities. 

Ram Janmbhoomi city plan

CM Yogi has given orders to build utility ducts to ensure roads are not dug continuously for underground cabling and water pipes repair work.

“Heritage lighting should be done in the city. The panch kosi, chaudah kosi and chaurasi kosi parikrama pathways should be developed keeping their religious significance in mind,” remarked Yogi Adityanath. A direction has also been given to the tourism department officials to identify and develop heritage, historical and religious spots in the city.

The CM has also asked the officials to take consenses and make arrangements to relocate affected shopkeepers and residents Prior to land acquisition for road widening of the pathway leading up to the Ram temple.

Discussing the plan for the international museum project, the CM laid emphasis on the fact that the museum should be developed keeping in mind the “ancient pride” and modern knowledge. Additionally, he has asked the officials to identify and acquire land for guest houses, institutions dedicated to various sects.

The plan also involves developing multi-level parking lots with space reserved for commercial activities at railway and bus stations.

A plan for beautification and preservation of all ghats and the Sarayu river has also been chartered out. 

Ayodhya Ram Mandir foundation work to be completed by October

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced that the foundation work at the Ram Mandir would commence in December this year.

According to the latest update by the Ram Mandir Trust, the filling of the foundation measuring 50-feet deep, 400 feet long and 300 feet wide will be completed by the end of October, giving way to the second phase of construction work which includes fixing of stones to create the temple structure.

“In December, the work on the base plinth will start with pink stones of Mirzapur and an order has been placed. The stones will be cut and shaped in the premises of Ram Janmabhoomi,” said Anil Mishra, Trustee of Ram Mandir Trust.

Yati Narsinghanand assassination attempt: Suspects Vipul and Kashif were highly radicalised, were sent by one Salimuddin

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Yati Narsinghanand assassination attempt: Suspects Vipul and Kashif were highly radicalised, were sent by one Salimuddin

Days after two men were caught on charges of carrying out the assassination attempt on Mahant Yati Narsinghanand, the Mussoorie police in Ghaziabad arrested the mastermind named Salimuddin on Friday (June 11). The two accused were identified as Vipul Vijayvargiya and his brother-in-law Kashif.

As per reports, the duo was instigated to assassinate the Hindu priest by one Salimuddin, who is a resident of Vijaynagar Sector-12 in Ghaziabad. Vipul, who lived in Nagpur, was sent to the Dasna temple by Salimuddin to carry out the nefarious agenda. He was taught Urdu and educated in para-medical science by the mastermind. During the police investigation, it came to light that Vipul had married Kasif’s sister Ayesha one and half years ago.

Although Vipul accepted that he was radicalised and provoked by Salimuddin, he claimed that he went to the temple to have a debate with Mahant Yati Narsinghanand. The police had recovered surgical blades, religious books, and other equipment from the bags of the two accused. Mahant Yati Narsinghanand had accused the duo of carrying out an assassination attempt. At the temple entrance, Kasif had claimed that his name was ‘Kashi Gupta’ and that he was a resident of Nagpur.

Vipul had several connections, tried to mislead the police along with his aide

It has come to light that Vipul Vijayvargiya had connections with several people in Delhi and Maharashtra. Reportedly, he had met several people before making his way to the Dasna temple. The law enforcement authorities realised that Vipul and Kashif had been trying to mislead them since the onset of the investigation. Based on preliminary investigation, the police concluded that the purpose of their visit to the Dasna temple was not limited to having a debate with Mahant Yati Narsinghanand.

Kashif’s father and Salimuddin were office bearers of a radical outfit

During the probe, it was revealed that Vipul’s father-in-law (Kashif’s father) and Salimuddin were office bearers of a radical outfit. Kashif tried to mislead the authorities by naming all his ‘Hindu friends’ and did not name any Muslim aide. This had increased the suspicion about Kashif’s ingenuine testimony to the police. Although Vipul had been staying in Vijayangar for learning Urdu and paramedical science, he did not much information about Ghaziabad.

Police arrested Salimuddin, found erased data on his phone and laptop

However, despite being a resident of the city and well-aware of the restrictions on the entry of Muslims into the temple, Kasif went to the temple along with Vipul using a fake identity. The ATS along with Mussoorie and Vijaynagar police had interrogated several suspects confidentially in the Pratap Vihar of Vijaynagar. Citing sources, Dainik Bhaskar also reported that the cops arrested the man who taught Vipul Urdu and paramedical science. The cops had hinted that they were planning to conduct searches, undertake recce, and attacking the temple security.

The police had registered a case of fraud against Vipul and Kashif for entering the temple using a fake name. The duo was sent to five-day judicial custody on June 8. On Friday, they were interrogated by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). During the probe, the ATS recovered a laptop and some books from the mastermind Salimuddin. According to the police, he had erased data from both his phone and laptop. The two devices have now been sent to experts for data recovery. Salimuddin was also sent to judicial custody, following interrogation.

The Background of the Case

On May 2, sevadaars of Dasna Mandir, Ghaziabad, caught two men identified as Vipul Vijayvargi and Kashif on suspicion of carrying out assassination attempt on Mahant Yati Narsinghanand. Yati Narsinghananad Saraswati said in a tweet, “Two more pigs were caught today who came to murder me. It is not that easy to kill me.”

Anil Yadav, a close aide of Dasna Priest, filed a complaint with the Police. Superintendent of Police Dr Iraj Raja said that both the suspects had been arrested, and an investigation is underway. Kashif told the Police that he came in contact with Vipul on Facebook three years ago. When Police asked the reason for staying in touch on Facebook, he said it was just a normal friendship. Vipul claimed that he wanted to meet the famous priest of Dasna Mandir.

On May 17, Delhi Police uncovered an assassination plot against Dasna Devi Temple head priest Yati Narsighanand Saraswati with the arrest of a 24-year-old Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist Mohd. Dar alias Jehangir from Delhi’s Paharganj area. Besides one .30 bore pistol along with two magazine and 15 live rounds, the Police recovered a Bhagwa kurta, a Kalava, a Mala and a Chandan-tika from the terrorist. Reports suggest that he wanted to kill the priest while posing as a Hindu.

Karnataka: Ibrahim steals cow from his Hindu neighbour’s house, slaughters and sells the meat at local market

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Karnataka: Ibrahim steals cow from his Hindu neighbour’s house, slaughters and sells the meat at local market

In a shocking incident, a man has been caught smuggling his neighbour’s cattle and later slaughtering in the bathroom of his residence in Udupi district, Karnataka.

A video had gone viral on the internet in which a man was seen stealing a cow from his neighbour’s house. The heinous crime was reported from Nejar in the Udupi district of Karnataka. The entire act was captured on the CCTV installed near the premises.

According to the reports, Yamana Gangadhara, a resident of Pragati Nagar in Nejar, had left his cow for grazing next to his house on Sunday, June 6. Gangadhara’s neighbour Ibrahim, who was seen in the CCTV lurking around the premises, stole the cow at around 11.45 am.

Later, Ibrahim was seen returning alone at around 12:20 PM, nearly 30 minutes after stealing the cow. Reportedly, Ibrahim took the cow to his residence, where he slaughtered the animal. He went ahead and even sold the slaughtered meat at a local market.

The act of Ibrahim dragging the cow forcefully was caught on CCTV. Based on the clip, the owner of the cow filed a complaint with Malpe police.

A case in this regard is registered in Malpe police station. The police have arrested the accused.

Three women accused of forcefully converting Dalit girl to Islam, video of her reading namaz sent to father: Report

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Three women accused of forcefully converting Dalit girl to Islam, video of her reading namaz sent to father: Report

The family of a Dalit girl from Greater Noida’s Jewar Basti has lodged a complaint against three women and a man for allegedly kidnapping and forcefully converting their daughter to Islam, reports Live Hindustan.  

The father of the girl in his complaint stated that his daughter used to work as a tailor in a private company with three women from the Muslim community as co-workers who used to pressurize her to convert to Islam. 

The girl’s family had indulged in a brawl with the women asking them to not pressurize the girl. The father however alleged that in an attempt to seek revenge, the three women along with a young man kidnapped his daughter. He additionally informed that the jewelry and Rs 70,000 cash kept for his daughter’s wedding are also missing. 

Video of the girl reading namaz sent to father 

The man who is accused of kidnapping the girl sent a video of her reading namaz (Islamic prayer) with two other women from an unknown location to the father. The man has allegedly threatened the father to forget his daughter and said that he is ready to compensate him with 40-50 thousand rupees. 

Umesh Bahadur Singh, Inspector in charge of the case confirmed that an official complaint of kidnapping has been lodged in the police station and an investigation into the matter has been launched.

Minor Dalit girl kidnapped and forcefully converted to Islam

Early this month, a case of kidnapping and forcible conversion of a 15-year-old minor in Jamui district of Bihar surfaced in the media. 

In his complaint, the father of the girl informed that on May 30, Pappu Khan, the son of Mohammad Mushtaq, a resident of Dinnagar, had kidnapped and forcibly converted his daughter to Islam after she went missing on May 23. 

Pappu Khan also threatened to kill the entire family of the girl if she complained to the police station. The victim’s father alleged that Pappu along with his accomplice Mohammad Mokim also looted jewelry and cash from his house.

The family of the girl had filed a complaint at the Chandradeep police station. As per a Times of India report, the girl has reunited with the family, however, Pappu Khan is evading arrest.

Kerala Minister extends support to sedition accused model Aisha Sultana, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan would help her fight Centre

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kerala Minister extends support to sedition accused model Aisha Sultana, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan would help her fight Centre

Days after Lakshadweep police registered a case of sedition against model Aisha Sultana for her seditious remarks, Kerala Minister V Sivankutty has stoked a controversy by expressing his solidarity with the controversial model-turned-activist.

In an audio clip that has gone viral on social media, speaking to Aisha Sultana over the phone, Kerala Minister Sivankutty said that the Kerala government extends its support to her and asked her to be brave. The Kerala Minister demanded that the case against Sultana must be withdrawn and called the model a popular face of the struggle against the “dictatorial and fascist” policies of the Lakshadweep administration.

Earlier, Lakshadweep police had registered a case of sedition against controversial actor and model Aisha Sultana for claiming that the Modi government had used Covid-19 as a “bio-weapon” against the people of Lakshadweep Islands. A case under IPC Sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 B (hate speech) was filed against Aisha Sultana based on a complaint from BJP’s Lakshadweep unit president C Abdul Khader Haji.

Coming out in support of Lakshadweep filmmaker Aisha Sultana, Kerala Minister said the actor-turned-model need not worry about the case as she has Kerala government’s support. In the audio clip that has gone viral now, the Kerala minister was heard speaking to Aisha Sultana.

During his conversation, the Kerala Minister said that he has accessed all the information about the case and said the case against the case was a strange situation as such cases are unprecedented in any part of country.

As the actress claimed that the Lakshadweep administration would arrest her, the Kerala Minister said that the BJP would not hesitate to do such things as they have already killed democracy and the constitution of the country.

Kerala’s Education minister also tried to linking the case against Aisha Sultana to other initiatives taken by the Modi government over the years including the passing of Citizenship Amendment Act, abrogation of Article 370. Minister Sivankutty said that they were deliberately doing this in Lakshadweep and added that the centre has mismanaged the Covid-19 situation in the Union territory.

The Kerala Minister assured his government support to the model, saying they were all together with her. He also asked the model Aisha Sultana to meet Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan once and that he will help resolve the issue.

“We have already passed resolution unanimously agains the reforms in Lakshadweep,” said Kerala Minister Sivankutty.

Sedition complaint against Aisha Sultana

On Friday, a case of sedition was registered against controversial actor and model Aisha Sultana for making hate-speech against the Modi government as she claimed that the Modi government was using Covid-19 as a “bio-weapon” against the people of Lakshadweep Islands.

Based on a complaint from BJP’s Lakshadweep unit president C Abdul Khader Haj, a complaint was filed against Aisha Sultana for making wild claims that the centre was using Covid-19 as a bio-weapon in the Union territory.

In his complaint, Khader pointed that Aisha Sultana, a native of Chetlat island, had purportedly said that the Centre was using Praful Patel as a bio-weapon on the island. Khader has cited a recent debate on the Malayalam channel in which Aisha Sultana had made such comments.

In a debate on the Malayalam channel Media One, Aisha Sultana had claimed, “Before centre took care, Lakshadweep had zero cases of COVID-19. Now, it is reporting a daily spike of 100 cases. What the centre has deployed is a bioweapon. I can say this clearly that the central government has deployed bioweapon against the people of Lakshadweep.”

Through her comments, Aisha Sultana had tried to undermine the efforts to bring development to the Islands. By trying to blame the centre, Aisha was attempting to conceal the crumbling health infrastructure of the islands that had resulted in the increasing number of Covid-19 cases.

Shiv Sena leader demands a flyover in Mumbai be renamed after Moinuddin Chishti, who credited himself for capturing Prithviraj Chauhan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Shiv Sena leader demands a flyover in Mumbai be renamed after Moinuddin Chishti, who credited himself for capturing Prithviraj Chauhan

Member of Parliament and Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale in a letter has demanded the renaming of a flyover on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd link road after Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz- Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri. 

Dr Amit Thadani, a Mumbai based doctor shared this letter dated June 10 written by Mumbai’s South Central constituency Sena leader Shewale to the Mayor of Mumbai Kishori Pednekar. The letter states that the request to rename a flyover that connects Chedanagar to Mankhurd has come from the Muslim community which constitutes 70% of the population in that area. 

The leader of the so-called Hindutva party further added that the Muslim community’s demand must be respected and the flyover be renamed at the earliest. 

The letter is being circulated widely on social media platforms. 

Who was Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

Records and reports suggest that Chishti was among the very first Sufi saints to arrive in India where Delhi was under the rule of Sultan Iltutmish. He was among the most revered of the Sufi saints who had allegedly come to spread the message of ‘peace and love’ in India.

Chishti had come to India to fight Jihad on the side of the Sultan Muhammad Ghauri against the Hindu King Prithviraj Chauhan. Chishti had credited himself for Prithviraj’s capture, writing, “We have seized Pithaura (Prithviraj) and handed him to the army of Islam.”

Khwaja Moinuddin and his Hindu hate

As per MA Khan’s book ‘Islamic Jihad, A Legacy of Forced Conversions, Imperialism and Slavery”, as soon as Chisti arrived in Ajmer, he reportedly saw a number of temples near the Anasagar lake and promised that he will have them razed to the ground.

In a deep-seated hatred towards Hindus, Khwaja’s followers used to bring a cow and they used to slaughter it near a prominent temple where the local Raja and Hindus used to pray, cook kebabs from the cow’s meat to eat, just to show contempt towards the local Hindus.

MA Khan’s Islamic Jihad

Khan in his book also mentions that the Sufis had come as a part of invading armies or had participated in Jihadi wars against Hindu kings, aimed at capturing their kingdoms and wealth and enslavement of their people. While Moinuddin fought for Mohammad Ghauri, Nizamuddin Aulia had fought for Sultan Alauddin.

‘Islamic Jihad’, a book by MA Khan

In Kashmir, it was the Sufis who had inspired the wholesale level destruction of Hindu temples, the slaughter of Hindus and their forced conversions.

Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint, Indian Express, others spread lies about Aisha Sultana’s ‘bio weapon’ comment. Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint, Indian Express, others spread lies about Aisha Sultana’s ‘bio weapon’ comment. Details

After actor and model Aisha Sultana was booked under sedition charges for saying that the Modi government had attacked Lakshadweep using Chinese coronavirus a ‘bio-weapon’, some media outlets twisted her remarks to claim that the sedition charge was slapped for criticising the administrator of the Union Territory. While several media houses reported correctly what she had said, some of them including Indian Express, The Print, Al Jazeera and others chose to distort her comments, to make her appear innocent.

On 11th June, while reporting on the case filed against Aisha Sultana, Indian Express said that the action was taken because she had called Lakshadweep administrator Praful K Patel a bio-weapon. Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint had declared in the headline itself that the case was filed for calling Praful Patel a bio-weapon.

ThePrint’s headline

The same was claimed by Al Jazeera, which reported that she had called the territory’s administrator a “bio-weapon”. Other sites like The Firstpost, Scroll etc had also made the same claim.

The media reports chose to blindly follow the version of Aisha Sultana, who had claimed that her allegation was against the administrator, after her comments were widely condemned by people.

On June 8, Aisha had posted a comment on her Facebook claiming that in the TV debate, she had called administrator Patel a bio-weapon, and didn’t blame the union government for the spread of Covid-19 in the islands. She claimed that due to some technical difficulties in the channel, her comments were not heard properly, and it was mistaken that she had said the Indian govt used bio-weapon against people in Lakshadweep.

Justifying her comments, she had written, “I have felt Patel acted as a bio-weapon with his policies. It was through Patel and his entourage that Covid-19 spread in Lakshadweep. I have compared Patel as a bio-weapon, not the government or the country”.

However, from the video of the debate on Malayalam channel Media One TV on June 7, it is clear that she was talking about the union government while using the bio-weapon remark, not Praful K Patel. During the debate, she is heard referring to co‑panellist BJP leader B G Vishnu saying that the union govt is working for the development of the islands. She says ‘I heard Vishnu sir say that Centre is taking care of the Islands as it is lying isolated. Is it because of this taking care that Lakshadweep, where there were zero cases, is now brought to a pathetic situation of reporting at least 100 cases daily?’

She then goes on to say that the centre used the Covid-19 as a bio-weapon against the people in the islands. She said, “What these people have used is bio-weapon. I can say very precisely. It is clearly a bio-weapon that centre has used. That is what they used in a place which had zero Covid cases.”

BJP’s Vishnu opposed these comments and asked her to take back the serious allegations she made against the Modi government. But she didn’t relent and continued the same accusations. She added, “if attempts have been made to inject Covid to a place where there was no Covid, it means it is bio-weapon only. You say you are taking care, you know very well this is bio-weapon only”.

Thus, she said several times that centre used the Coronavirus as bio-weapon against people of Lakshadweep.

To this even the anchor Nishad Rawther objected, he said that that the allegation that a government used bio-weapon against its own citizens is a serious one and asked her what information she has to level such an allegation. To this Aisha replied that there is already allegations going on that Coronavirus may be developed by China as a bio-weapon against other countries. She reiterated that as earlier there were zero Covid cases in Lakshadweep, it must have been used as a bio-weapon because there are rising cases now.

Vishnu continued to object to her comments throughout the discussion, asking her to withdraw the statements, while anchor Nishad Rawther asked if she is willing to take the risk for what she was saying.

After her comments created a furore, she posted on next day on Facebook that she was using the bio-weapon remark for Patel, and didn’t say anything about the union govt. But the video of the debate shows what she had actually said.

While the mainstream media houses are trying to defend Aisha by repeating her claims, a reporter on NDTV had inadvertently confirmed that she was accusing the centre of using Covid-19 as a bio-weapon against Lakshadweep residents.

While talking to the NDTV anchor on the issue, reporter Sneha Mary Koshy said that Aisha had alleged that centre had used bio-weapon, and Patel’s actions were causing rise in Covid-19 cases.

From the original video of the debate and the version of the NDTV reporter, it can be concluded that Aisha accused the Modi govt of using Covid-19 as a bio-weapon against people in Lakshadweep. She didn’t say Patel is a bio-weapon, but later claimed the same after the outrage on her comment. The video shows there were no technical issues with it as she had claimed, and her voice was clearly audible.

The difference between calling the administrator a bio-weapon and saying the central govt used a virus as bio-weapon against citizens is huge, and that is why she is trying to change her comments, which is being helped by the media. Calling Patel a bio-weapon won’t attract serious charges, the administrator may file a defamation suit, but the authorities can’t file a sedition charge, as criticising a person is not sedition. PM Modi has been called Hitler, mass murderer and worst by left liberals and Islamists, but none has faced sedition or such charges as it is a criticism of a person.

But saying that the government is attacking its own people using a bio-weapon is a very serious charge, and the sedition charge can be justified in this case. Because this amounts to inciting the people of Lakshadweep against the union govt using false accusations, which is a valid ground for the sedition charge. This is not a criticism of a person, but a serious and false allegation against the govt.

1...4,2304,2314,232...7,677Page 4,231 of 7,677