The Kerala government has granted permission to renovate Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence, the Cliff House. As per reports, Rs.98 lakh have been earmarked for the project. The amount was finalized based on the estimate prepared by the Uralungal Society. The project includes the renovation of restrooms of drivers, gunmen, security guards, and attendants.
No tenders were invited
Normally, Public Works Department (PWD) invites tender for such projects. However, in this case, the renovation project was granted to the society without inviting tenders. When a new government comes to power, ministers often recommend making particular renovations at their residences. Based on their recommendations, PWD invites tenders after preparing the estimates. The excuse of not inviting the tenders often revolves around the urgency of such renovation or construction projects. In such cases, PWD approach accredited contractors.
Vijayan’s previous government also spent public money on renovations
In 2018, an RTI had revealed that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s previous government had spent Rs. 82.35 lakh on renovations of ministers’ residences. At that time, maximum money (Rs. 13,18,937) was spent on the renovation of the Xanadu bungalow where Industries and Sports Minister E P Jayarajan was staying. On CM’s residence Rs.9,56,871 were spent.
Previous governments’ track record was no less
During Oommen Chandy’s tenure, the Kerala government had spent Rs.4.3 crore on renovations. Before that, during the tenure of the V S Achuthanandan government, a controversy had erupted over the tax money spent on the renovation of the ministerial residences. At that time, then-ministers C Divakaran and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had spent Rs.17 lakh and Rs.11 lakh respectively on the renovation work. They had to stop the renovation due to the controversy.
Kerala CM had urged Union Government to provide the free vaccine.
It has to be noted that Chief Minister Pinarayi has been demanding money from the Centre to provide free vaccines to the residents of Kerala. Though he had promised free vaccines in December, in April, he went back on his promise of making Chinese coronavirus vaccines free in his state. He appealed to the central government to instead foot the bill and make vaccines for those eligible from May 1, 2021, free in his state.
Rahul Gandhi along today went to pay homage to his great grandfather, former Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on his death anniversary. Images of picturesque Shantivan, Nehru’s memorial, sprawling over green expanse where Rahul Gandhi paid his tribute were shared by Congress’ official handle.
Shri @RahulGandhi pays homage to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on his death anniversary- at Shanti Van, New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/cg3jBgYg8Q
Amidst all the lovely, impeccable landscaped lawn, one thing stands out. The gentleman standing right behind Rahul Gandhi.
Man behind Rahul Gandhi
Here is a close up.
Unidentified man behind Rahul Gandhi
The man is wearing a green salwar and a kurta with saffron, white and green colours on it. The kurta has a huge image of Rahul Gandhi printed right on his tummy area. There are two circles on his chest too, which seems to have Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi in one circle and Congress logo in other. While it would have perhaps made sense to have Rahul and Priyanka in each of the concerted circles, the unidentified man had picture of Rahul Gandhi in a bigger size plastered below his chest.
The man is also wearing a mask, but from the image it is not clear whose image is there on it.
Netizens were clearly amused at the strange cricket jersey-like endorsement on this gentleman’s clothes.
People were left wondering who this ‘fan boy’ was and whether he was part of the ‘toolkit’.
This is for real? Rahul Baba while paying tributes to his great grand father brought this clown with him. Mind you this is not a rally but supposed to be a tribute to his great grand father. pic.twitter.com/lYu9YBXm6W
— Narendra Modi fan (@narendramodi177) May 27, 2021
Some even played guessing game on who he might be.
And they were crying over PM's face on the vaccine certificate and this man is wearing Rahul Gandhi all over him, for sure he has his tattoos ?? pic.twitter.com/XNnVHCgBEL
— Agnostic_Exploring (@aimingforlight) May 27, 2021
Many also pointed out how Congress leaders had issue with picture of PM Modi on the vaccine certificate while they seem to be hiring people as walking advertisements.
The Gandhi siblings have a some of the strangest devoted fans. Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Haseeb Amin have often created some of the most amusing posters with rhymes rooting for Priyanka Gandhi over her brother.
A 32-year-old YouTuber named Gaurav Sharma (Gaurav John, according to a report by India.com) has been arrested after a video of him making his dog float up in the air with the help of helium balloons went viral on social media. The YouTuber has been charged under Sections 188, 269, 34 of the Animal Cruelty Act.
The Malvia Nagar police acted against Gaurav Sharma and his mother after a complaint was filed against the duo. The complaint was filed after the animal welfare organisation People For Animals (PFA) raised the issue.
“YouTuber Gaurav Sharma arrested for cruelty to an animal after he posted a video on social media where he floated up a pet dog in the air by tying hydrogen balloons on its back, risking its life”, ANI quoted DCP South Atul Thakur as saying.
Delhi | YouTuber Gaurav Sharma arrested for cruelty to an animal after he posted a video on social media where he floated up a pet dog in the air by tying hydrogen balloons on its back, risking its life: DCP South Atul Thakur
The video where the Youtuber made his dog fly went viral on social media sparking outrage
The YouTuber had uploaded the video of the purported incident on his YouTube channel ‘GauravZone’. In the video, Gaurav Sharma, a resident of Panchsheel Vihar, is seen sitting on the roof of his car. He lifts his pet dog named Dollar, which is tied to several hydrogen balloons and slowly leaves him to float in the air at the count of three.
32-year old Youtuber, Gaurav Sharma, resident of Panchsheel Vihar has been arrested for tying helium balloons to his dog and later making it fly. He told the police that he is a youtuber and the made the video to upload it on his page. The video was shot on May 21.?? pic.twitter.com/nrOUe9hLjb
“The upper body has started flying a little,” Gaurav says as he explains the act, pulling up the string of balloons, further lifting his dog. After a few moments, the dog can be seen suspended in the air as Gaurav along with his mother clap and cheer on.
YouTuber seeks apology after Netizens outrage over the video
After the video went viral on social media, Netizens fumed at the outrageous act and slammed the YouTuber for his insensitivity towards animals. After the outrage, Gaurav Sharma deleted the video and issued an apology saying that he had taken all safety measures. He says that he was influenced by the content posted by foreign YouTubers.
”Before making the video, I had taken all the safety measures. I had said this in the video but did not upload the raw content as it would’ve increased the length of the video. It was a mistake on my part. All I want to say is that I had made the video with all the safety measures… I posted wrong content under the influence of outsiders and it should not have happened,” he said, I apologise if I have hurt anyone’s sentiments. I am an animal lover and treat Dollar like a child”, said Gaurav in his subsequent video, adding: “I won’t try such things again. Those who’re getting influenced by such things, please don’t get influenced”.
On May 26, a viral video started making rounds on social media platforms in which a woman was seen being brutalised, and sexually assaulted by multiple men. The posts suggest that the woman in the video was the late Lovikali Sumi, a Nagaland resident who had committed suicide in Jodhpur, Rajasthan where she worked.
Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter
The Jodhpur suicide case
As per reports, a 25-years-old woman from Nagaland committed suicide at Jodhpur on May 23 in her rented room. She was originally from Nuiland, district Dimapur. She was working at ‘Naveen Juice Restaurant.’ As per the post mortem report, her death was due to ‘natural suicide.’
Her mortal remains were buried in Jodhpur itself with the help of “Helping Hands Society.” Robin Hibu, IPS, and Naveen, the owner of the restaurant, bore the expenses and made the burial arrangements. She was buried at the New Christian cemetery in Jodhpur on Sunday evening around 6:30 PM.
Some reports suggest that she was heard arguing with someone over the phone. After that, she locked herself in the room. Someone called the Police, and when she did not open the door, they broke into her room, where she was found hanging. Jodhpur police are conducting an investigation in the case.
What was in the viral video?
The video that surfaced over the social media platforms was widely shared as a video of the deceased girl. In the video, four men were seen raping a woman who appeared to be from the Northeast. There was a woman in the room as well who was helping the men to rape her. She removed the victim’s clothes while the four men forcefully held her on the bed.
As the video was leaked just after the Jodhpur incident, several social media users connected them, assuming the women in both videos were the same. Several vloggers hailing from the Northeast also shared their views on the video on Youtube, assuming it was of the woman who committed suicide in Jodhpur.
The reality of the video
It is true that the incident happened and possibly happened in 2021 itself, as the song in the background of the video was released in January 2021. However, the woman in the video is not late Lovikali Sumi, who committed suicide in Jodhpur. IPS officer and founder of Helping Hands shared the information on Facebook. He said that he showed the video to the family members of the deceased, and they confirmed it was not her.
He said, “We are trying to identify the girl, also the perpetrators, for further action. The video is not related to the suicide case the late Lovikali Sumi at Jodhpur, the sister of Sumi and the Police have verified the video, it’s not the suicide girl who is in the video. Have already informed Gujarat Police, Mizoram Police and Rajasthan Police. Some miscreants have dubbed it as the same case as the Jodhpur Naga girl suicide case. I have spoken personally to DCP Jodhpur now.”
Facebook post by IPS Robin Hibu
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the same and said, “The viral video of a girl from North-East being brutally raped and tortured by four men & 1 woman is not related to Jodhpur suicide case. I had detail discussion with the Police Commissioner of Jodhpur. However, there must be all-out efforts by all State Police to catch the devils.”
The viral video of a girl from North-East being brutally raped and tortured by 4 men & 1 women is not related to Jodhpur suicide case. I had detail discussion with the Police Commisioner of Jodhpur. However, there must be all out efforts by all State Police to catch the devils.
Assam Police has issued photographs of the accused and said, “These images are of 5 culprits who are seen brutally torturing & violating a young girl in a viral video. The time or place of this incident is not clear. Anyone with information regarding this crime or the criminals may please contact us. They will be rewarded handsomely.”
These images are of 5 culprits who are seen brutally torturing & violating a young girl in a viral video.
The time or place of this incident is not clear.
Anyone with information regarding this crime or the criminals may please contact us. They will be rewarded handsomely. pic.twitter.com/ZnNjtK1jr6
It has to be noted that both the incidents have happened. The investigation agencies are looking into the matters separately. As the gang rape video was recently made viral, it is still unknown when and where it had happened. Once more information comes to light, we will update the story.
The COVID-19 pandemic, while claiming millions of lives across the world, has also exposed just how compromised the world media is. Not that the state of the media was not apparent earlier, but the pandemic reporting across the world has probably put the media at its lowest ebb ever. Providing an example of just how tone-deaf the media can be, yesterday, the New York Times ‘COVID-19 reporter’ took to Twitter to say that the world should not talk about the ‘lab leak theory’ as far as COVID is concerned because it has racist roots.
Apoorva Mandavilli, who is a ‘COVID-19 reporter’ with the New York Times took to Twitter and said, “Someday, we will stop talking about the lab leak theory and maybe even admit its racist roots. But alas, that day is not yet here”.
Tweet by NYT journalist
Interestingly, on Sunday (May 23), a former New York Times (NYT) science editor named Nicholas Wade slammed mainstream media publications for falling for Chinese propaganda and ignoring that Covid-19 might have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. His remarks came at a time when more scientists are increasingly supporting the theory that the Wuhan Coronavirus was developed in a laboratory.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he lamented that journalists from mainstream media outlets had failed to take off ‘political glasses’ in investigating the origins of the virus. He said, “I think we see a sustained Chinese propaganda effort at work. But, you know, more than that, it was just the blindness, if I could put it that way, of our media — we’re too polarized to see scientific issues for their own sake without putting a political gloss on them.”
“We don’t know for sure: The origin of the virus is just we’ve got these two possible scenarios. But if you look at all the evidence and ask yourself, well, which scenario explains all these facts better on present evidence, it seems, to me at least, that the lab-escape hypothesis explains it a lot better. But it’s a sort of complicated conclusion to arrive at, and I can only assume that the media was blindsided, they didn’t do the work that was necessary,” Wade held the mainstream media journalists accountable.
While the former science editor at New York Times wondered why mainstream media journalists, much like Mandavilli, continue to shield China, even Dr Fauci, USA’s expert on infectious diseases, conceded that he was not convinced that the virus developed naturally and that a thorough investigation must be carried out till the origins of the virus are known. Therefore, even Fauci alluded to the fact that it is possible, maybe even likely, that the COVID-19 virus was developed in a lab.
After the New York Times journalist tweeted, wondering why the world was talking about the ‘racist theory’ that the virus may have leaked from a lab, a theory that now even Fauci is talking about, several individuals reacted to the tweet, prompting the journalist to retract.
She wrote, ‘I deleted my earlier tweets about the origins of the pandemic because they were badly phrased. The origin of the pandemic is an important line of reporting that my colleagues are covering aggressively”.
I deleted my earlier tweets about the origins of the pandemic because they were badly phrased. The origin of the pandemic is an important line of reporting that my colleagues are covering aggressively.
While the world grapples with a massive pandemic that has been unleashed upon the world by China, the New York Times and several other international papers have been trying their best to shield China from the world demanding accountability. And the reason for it could be rather apparent.
In June 2020, China Daily, a propaganda outlet of the Chinese government, had paid $19 million to American newspapers in advertisement and printing charges in the past 4 years. The story came to light, amidst growing concerns about US dailies giving intellectual cover fire to Beijing.
As per the documents filed by China Daily with the Justice Department, the Communist party mouthpiece had paid over $6 million to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), $4.6 million to the Washington Post, $2,40,000 to Foreign Policy, $50,000 to the New York Times, $34,600 to The Des Moines Register and $76,000 to CQ-Roll Call.
Besides, spending $11 million in advertising on prominent US papers, China Daily shelled out an additional $7.6 million to The Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, and The Boston Globe for printing copies of its own paper. For instance, the Los Angeles Times reportedly received $657,523 for printing services. The Communist party mouthpiece had also spent $2,65,822 on advertising on Twitter.
While Apoorva Mandavilli used ‘political correctness as an excuse to shield China, it is baffling that a COVID reporter, who has presumably seen the havoc that this pandemic has wreaked and the lives it has claimed, wants the world to stop asking questions about the origins of the virus. For any disease to be understood, it has to be understood where that virus originated, and to shield a country from the responsibility of a virus that has claimed millions of lives, can only mean that the journalist or the paper she works for is aiming to spread the propaganda floated by the Chinese Communist Party.
Possible reasons for spread of coronavirus
Several scientists have speculated that the Covid-19 virus jumped from animals, such as bats, to humans. It is also a possibility that there was an intermediate stop to another animal. Similar zoonotic spillover has happened before, for example, in the case of the Ebola outbreak of 2014 in West Africa.
There is another possible pathway that needs to be investigated and that the potential leak from the laboratory. There can be many ways that can lead to such leaks, including improper disposal and a laboratory worker getting infected who may have passed it to others. There are around 11 million people in Wuhan. It is considered to be a significant hub and center for virus studies in China. There are six known facilities with BSL-3 laboratories that handle infectious agents. Several published papers have made it clear that some of the institutes in Wuhan are actively researching coronavirus.
The Joe Biden administration has stopped officials from carrying out an inquiry into a link between the origins of the novel coronavirus and a lab in Wuhan.
According to the reports, President Joe Biden has shut down a clandestine investigation that the US State Department had started to prove the lab-based origins of Covid-19.
During Trump’s presidency, the US State Department had launched the previously undisclosed inquiry to look into the allegations of laboratory origin of Covid-19 in China. However, Biden’s administration has reportedly asked the officials to stop the investigation citing “poor quality work and its politicization, selective use by Trump and his allies to blame the pandemic on China.”
Mike Pompeo, Trump’s secretary of state, had initiated a probe to look into the possibility that the coronavirus pandemic may have started in the Wuhan Institute of Virology and not in nature. However, after Biden took over the administration, his team raised concerns as early as 2021 about draft findings of the probe against China.
Pompeo had repeatedly said that he believed the coronavirus causing the global pandemic has originated in a lab and that the Chinese government was covering up. In April last year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had accused China of destroying coronavirus samples as part of a cover-up during the early days of the outbreak, thereby “making it impossible to track the disease’s evolution.”
“I am confident that we will find that the evidence that we have seen to date is consistent with a lab leak, and I’m convinced that’s what we’ll see,” Pompeo said.
The possibility that the pandemic began due to a laboratory accident has gained renewed interest recently after a Wall Street Journal report claimed that three workers at the Wuhan lab were hospitalized in November 2019, even before the first cases of Covid-19 were reported.
Biden orders reviews on Covid-lab leak theory
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has ordered his own investigation to look into the lab-leak theory of Covid-19. President Joe Biden has asked US spy agencies to do a 90-day investigation into whether Covid-19 was released by a Chinese lab. The White House said that it is not ruling out anything, including the deliberate release of the virus by China.
The Biden administration said that US intelligence agencies are considering two likely scenarios, however, they still lack strong confidence in their conclusions. A report has been submitted to Biden, who had asked his team in March to determine whether the novel coronavirus “emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident,” according to the president’s written statement.
The latest unusual public disclosure about private and inconclusive US intelligence assessments has now sparked a debate about the Biden’s administration’s probe over the origins of novel coronavirus.
Responding to several US investigations into the possible lab leak of Covid-19, the Chinese embassy in the United States on Thursday said that politicizing the issue would hamper investigations into the origins of Covid-19.
The Chinese Embassy in the US said that it supports “a comprehensive study of all early cases of Covid-19 found worldwide and a thorough investigation into some secretive bases and biological laboratories all over the world”.
The Wuhan pandemic has killed more than 3.3 million people worldwide and hit the global economy due to the lockdowns and other restrictions to slow its spread. Even though the origin of the virus remains contested among experts, much evidence suggests that the virus may have been originated from Wuhan. The first known cases emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.
As the duel between IMA and founder of Patanjali Ramdev Baba intensifies over the latter’s remark on allopathy, it has now been reported that Alwar collectorate officials have raided Patanjali’s mustard oil manufacturer Singhania oil mill.
As per a Republic World report, a raid was conducted on the mill on the orders of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The mill has been sealed after reportedly large quantities of Patanjali’s packing pouches and goods were ‘recovered’ from the site. It is not clear why the unit was raided.
The reason for the raid is unclear, however, the Alwar collectorate has formed an inquiry committee and hinted that the investigation could be given to CB-CID to probe the matter.
IMA- Ramdev Baba tussle
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) headed by Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal with Congres leader Dr Navjot Singh Dahiya as the National Vice President has launched a targeted attack on Yog Guru Baba Ramdev since his remarks on allopathy.
The conflict between the two, however, has been fueling since the launch of Coronil advocated by the Union Health Minister. The association since then amidst the pandemic has been running a ‘Say No To Mixopathy’ campaign to restrict the entry of Ayurveda and even made the doctors go on a hunger strike.
IMA has now upped the ante after Baba Ramdev’s statement on allopathy and the allopathic doctors went viral on social media, taking strong objection and issuing letter after letter to ministries and state governments to take stern action against him.
After Baba Ramdev’s rebuttal to their concentrated attack, the IMA has now filed a Rs 1000 crore defamation case over his statements.
IMA’s constant attacks against Baba Ramdev and his Patanjali organisation has intensified after recent reports of the IMA President’s open endorsement and support for using medical resources to spread Christianity in India were noticed. In several interviews and statements, the IMA President JA Jayalal has been found calling for proselytization, even going to the extent of declaring that the Covid pandemic is an opportunity to make the masses accept Jesus.
The residents of the Mahadalit colony in Purnia are living in fear after a mob of radical Islamists attacked them and set their homes on fire. Now more horror stories have emerged from the incident. Locals say that the mob entered their homes and tried to rape the women. The mob tried to rape a pregnant woman. When they were unable to do so, they beat her up with chain.
Even children and old people were beaten mercilessly. One ASHA worker said that she had helped deliver babies in homes of the accused. They even targeted her and tried to rape her. She was attacked with swords. Somehow, she managed to escape in semi-naked condition to save her life. Daughter in law of Mewalal Rai, who was killed in the violence, said that he was beaten up with chain, sticks and a weapon with sharp blade.
Mahadalit colony attacked in Purnia
On May 22, around 100-150 members of the Muslim community attacked a Mahadalit colony in Purnia, Bihar. They beaten up everyone irrespective of age or gender. A retired watchman was also killed in the attack. In the aftermath of the incident that took place in Majhua Toli, SP Dayashankar sent Bayasi station in-charge Amit Kumar to Police Line for his negligence. Circle Inspector Sunil Kumar Suman, Thamdaha, was sent to take charge of the police station in Bayasi.
Rizvi, Shakeed, and Ilyasi are among the main accused in the case. The Police are claiming that it was a land dispute and no one joined the attackers from outside. On the other hand, BJP is saying that there were over 300 attackers. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has alleged that Rohingya Muslims were also part of the mob.
Location of the incident raises red flags
The location of the incident calls for a serious investigation. It is only eight kilometers away from the famous ‘Chicken’s neck’ that on the radar of anti-India forces, including China. It is a narrow pathway that connects the northeast to the rest of the country. Siliguri is the major region in this area. Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sikkim, and the mountains of Darjeeling connect to India via this region. The Muslim-dominating areas of North Dinajpur in West Bengal and Kishanganj in Bihar are connected to this region.
It has to be noted that Sharjeel Imam, a former student of AMU, had threatened to cut down this chicken’s neck during anti-CAA protests and provoked Muslims to fulfill his dream. Imam is currently under police custody over his involvement in anti-CAA protests.
‘Hindus are under attack in Muslim-dominated areas’
BJP leader Devesh Kumar said that Hindus are under attack in dominating Muslim areas. It has been happening in West Bengal, where Hindus are forced to migrate to other states, and it is happening in Bihar as well. State Head of BJP, Sanjay Jaiswal, has spoken to CM Nitish Kumar over the incident, who promised a speedy trial of the accused.
— अनंत विजय/ Anant Vijay (@anantvijay) May 25, 2021
Women were sexually assaulted, elders and children were attacked, and houses were burnt down during the attack in Purnia. The residents are constantly living in fear. A pregnant woman said that Iliyas tried to rape her, and when he did not succeed, he beaten her up with a chain. The marks of the atrocities that pregnant women faced are still visible on her body.
A complaint has been filed with the Ministry of Home Affairs against John Rose Austin Jayalal, the National President of the Indian Medical Association, seeking action against him for abusing his power and resorting to proselytization during the pandemic.
Legal Right Protection Forum, a legal-activism group, has written a detailed letter to the centre demanding strict action against Johnrose Austin Jayalal, accusing him of using the Covid-19 pandemic to convert patients to Christianity.
Filed complaint @NMC_IND and @MoHFW_INDIA seeking revocation of Medical Practitioner’s License of Mr. John Jayalal, President, Indian Medical Association @IMAIndiaOrg as he has openly declared his intention of splitting human beings into Christians and non-Christians. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/P9D5cE9vUP
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) May 27, 2021
In its complaint, the LRPF sought revocation of Medical Practitioner’s License of IMA President John Jayalal, alleging that the controversial doctor has openly declared his intention of splitting human beings into Christians and non-Christians and converting the latter to Christianity using every available opportunity.
The legal-activist group asked the government to stop all funds to IMA until John Jayalal is removed from his position as President. Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal was appointed as the national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for the year 2020-2021 at its 95th annual national conference held in December 2020.
According to the Communemag report, the LRPF has alleged that the president of the IMA is using his position to propagate Christianity. Instead of treating the Covid-19 pandemic as a humanitarian catastrophe, Dr Jayalal and his team of evangelists were rubbing their hands and treating the pandemic as an opportunity to spread the Gospel in new ways to more and more people, the complaint read.
“This is nothing short of a vulture-like approach to human suffering, death and devastation. In the weakest moments of their life, instead of giving comfort and solace to the suffering millions, Dr Jayalal and his team of rabid evangelists are making grandiose plans to exploit the sufferings of fellow humans by converting them to Christianity. It is also shocking that as a medical doctor, instead of relying on his medical skills, he has chosen to thrust the fear of God into people suffering from the Covid-19 Pandemic,” the complaint filed by LRPF said.
Jayalal claims “Hindu nationalist government” is against modern medicine
The LRPF has pointed out two interviews given by Jayalal where he had expressed strong views about proselytizing Hindus. The complaint mentions Jaylal’s interview with Haggai International, where he says that the “Hindu Nationalist government” wants to destroy modern medicine.
“Please keep this in your international prayers. If everything goes their way, we will not have pure modern medicine courses in India by 2030,” he says in the interview as per the complaint filed by LRPF.
“They want to make it one nation, one system of medicine. Next, they will want to make it one religion. This is also based on the Sanskrit language, which is always traditionally based on Hindu principles. This is an indirect way for the government to introduce the language of Sanskrit and the language of Hindutva into the minds of the people,” Jayalal had said in that interview.
Church takes care of people, not the government: Dr Jayalal
In another interview to Christianity Today, Jayalal had said that it was the Church that took care of the poor people, implying that the government did not do anything.
Further, Jayalal claims that they have been organizing hunger strikes, protests and also simultaneously fighting in the Supreme Court against non-allopathic systems of medicine.
Promoting the proselytizing activities, Jayalal said that Christian doctors should be engaged in both ‘physical’ and ‘spiritual’ healing and called for more Christian doctors to work in secular institutions, mission institutions, and medical colleges.
“I am working as a professor of surgery in a medical college, so it is also a good opportunity for me to carry on the principles of Christian healing there. I also have the privilege of mentoring graduates and the interns,” he said in an interview with Christianity Today.
As per Jayalal, proselytization is easy in India as the country is a polytheistic society. “One of the things we must always remember is that Hinduism or Hindutva is different from other religions because of polytheism. They accept different gods. They have no difficulty in accepting or proclaiming that Jesus is one of the gods or Muhammad is one of the gods. So religious restrictions are less when comparing them with systems of other countries. I personally feel that it is healthy in India,” Jayalal has been quoted saying.
Covid-19’s silver lining is that Christianity is growing: Dr JA Jayalal
In his interview with Christianity Today, Dr Jayalal saw a silver lining in an otherwise dreary and bleak coronavirus outbreak. According to him, despite the hardships, difficulties, and restrictions that came in the wake of the pandemic, Christianity was growing.
“I am able to see, even amid persecution, even amid difficulties, even amid the control by the government, even among the restrictions we face in openly proclaiming the message, by various means and ways, Christianity is growing,” he told CT.
According to Dr. Jayalal, it was only because of people’s unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, a crisis as grave as the coronavirus pandemic had been averted. “It’s only the grace of God Almighty that helps us to get over the crisis and stay safe, and it was his grace that protected us. Through night-time prayers, family prayers, Christians began shifting from materialistic things to blessings in heaven. They began to concentrate more on that,” he said.
Not just Christian evangelism, Dr Jayalal is known to harbour extreme hatred towards the ruling dispensation as he has consistently targeted the leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by sharing misleading claims, cartoons and hashtags revealing his ideology.
Here is a glimpseof Jayalal’s social media posts, where he has openly expressed his visceral hate for Hindus, especially PM Modi.
Mehul Choksi, one of the prime accused in PNB fraud case, has now been found in Dominica. He was taken into custody by the authorities and will be repatriated to India. As per reports, he had gone ‘missing’ from Antigua earlier this week where he is a citizen. However, he has since been traced to Dominica.
As per a News18 report, he was spotted in Dominica’s capital city of Roseau at the Canefield beach where he was disposing some documents at the sea. Police got suspicious on seeing him and approached him. When he was asked about his purpose to visit Dominica, he refused to answer. Professional scuba divers are deployed to scour the sea to retrieve the documents he appeared to be getting rid of. He was reportedly planning to flee to Cuba upon arriving illegally in Dominica.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has agreed to Choksi’s repatriation. As reported by news agency ANI, Browne said he has requested Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to not return Choksi to Antigua where he has rights as a citizen but instead send him back to India.
Browne said that he was found in Dominica, another country, where he appeared to have entered illegally, possibly by boats. Dominican government is cooperating with Indian and Antiguan governments. Since he does not seem to be a citizen of Dominica, it appears his repatriation to India may be fairly easier. “We will not accept him back. He made a monumental error by skipping island,” he said.
PNB scam
Choksi, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, are accused of perpetrating bank fraud worth Rs 13,600 crore on Punjab National Bank. The fraud came to light in 2018 and he along with his nephew have been on the run since. While Modi is currently in UK, Choksi was in Antigua.
Recently, a UK court had ruled that his nephew Nirav Modi will be extradited to India from UK to face charges of conspiring to defraud PNB. Choksi faces charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonesty, including delivery of property, corruption and money laundering.
