The Calcutta Khilafat Committee (CKC) in Kolkata, which is responsible for arranging Eid-ul-Fitr Namaz in the city every year, is awaiting the state government’s nod for conducting the same on Red Road this year. The occasion records a gathering of over two lakh every year.
“We have already sent a letter to Eastern Command last week. We are waiting for permission from the state government. If the state government allows, then Qari Fazlur Rahman will lead the namaz on Red Road maintaining COVID-19 protocols,” said Mullick Mohammad Ishaque, a member of CKC as per a report in Millenium Post.
Permissions to conduct open prayer sessions were denied last year due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Red Road gathering is said to be the biggest congregation in the nation to offer special prayers on the occasion of Eid-ul- Fitr.
The CKC has been organising the prayer at Shahid Minar ground since 1920 but shifted to the Red Road 26 years ago.
Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated either on either May 13 or May 14 depending upon the lunar sighting.
Second wave of the coronavirus
This comes amidst the ongoing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic with the nation clocking over 3,00,000 new coronavirus cases daily.
The state of West Bengal on Tuesday registered its highest single-day deaths and new coronavirus cases at 107 and 17,639 respectively, as per the health department data.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday rubbished the criticism surrounding India’s reported shift in policy of receiving aid from foreign countries to boost the country’s fight against the pandemic. In a conversation with ANI, he characterised the COVID-19 outbreak as a shared global crisis, adding that receiving help from the country’s allies could be considered as aid by many, but for him it is friendship.
I think this kind of aid…these kind of arguments are sort of point-scoring. I think people aren’t connecting conceptually with the problem…When I look at the situation in Delhi, I will do everything in my power to help people: External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar in to ANI
“COVID is a shared problem for the world. When it came to medicines, we gave HCQ to the US, Singapore, European countries. We gave vaccines to some countries. What you describe as aid, we call friendship,” he said.
S Jaishankar also slammed the critics, stating that arguments describing the help that India is receiving from the world as aid are made for scoring political brownie points. “I think people are not connecting with the problem conceptually…When I look at the situation in Delhi, I will do everything in my power to help people,” he added.
The Union Minister was speaking in an interview with the ANI when he stated that he would draw on the accumulated years of experience and everything in his power to do what he could in alleviating the problems faced by Indians due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
“For me, I have one objective, my people are going through a very difficult phase in this second wave of COVID19, and as a foreign minister I will do everything which I have accumulated over the years to help my people,” S Jaishankar said.
Elections can’t be stopped in a democratic country: S Jaishankar on conducting elections amid pandemic
Speaking on the politics surrounding the COVID-19 situation in India, S Jaishankar said, “I wish it wasn’t so. When a pandemic hits hard there are arguments and questions. People have spoken about elections, we’re a democratic country, we don’t stop elections in a democracy.”
“When I go abroad, I try to make people understand my challenges, this is where international partnerships come into being. Yesterday most of my meeting with Antony Blinken was on solutions in India and abroad, and the heart of the matter was vaccines,” he elaborated.
Filter out the noise and keep working to ensure key supplies to India: S Jaishankar to Indian missions across the world
The External Affairs Minister also had a key message for Indian Missions across the world. He asked them to filter the noise and buckle down on what needs to be done as a mission, adding that their focus should be on fulfilling key requirements—Oxygen, pharmaceuticals/ Remdesivir vaccine, supply chain and logistics to ensure their delivery to India.
My message is that keep your focus on this, don’t get distracted by the rest of the debate. Just like the government is focused on addressing the pandemic at home, you also please do that at the moment: EAM Dr S Jaishankar in an interview to ANI
“My message is that keep your focus on this, don’t get distracted by the rest of the debate. Just like the government is focused on addressing the pandemic at home, you also please do that at the moment,” he said.
Jaishankar, who is in London for the G7 meeting, said that his message going into the meeting is: “COVID a global challenge, and we’re going through it right now, there are various factors and reasons why it as severe as it is, and a global pandemic requires a global effort. In the past, we have contributed to that global effort.”
Shortly after the US Capitol riots in January, leading social media platforms like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook had removed the then US President Donald Trump’s account for allegedly inciting violence and spreading misinformation.
In just four months, the ex-US President has now launched his own communications platform, ‘From the Desk of Donald J Trump’ a one-way communication platform.
Screenshot of ‘From The Desk Of Donald J. Trump’
The platform is to relay Trump’s messages which can be shared further on Twitter and Facebook.
The former President can post pictures, videos, comments, and articles on the new platform built by Campaign Nucleus, created by Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale.
The launch announcement comes just ahead of Facebook’s independent oversight board’s decision on whether or not to indefinitely suspend Trump from the platform.
Trump’s senior advisor, Jason Miller, had previously informed that Trump was all set to launch a new social media platform. “This new platform is going to be big,” he said in March. Confirming that the plan for the same is intact, Miller added “We’ll have additional information coming on that front in the very near future.”
?President Trump’s website is a great resource to find his latest statements and highlights from his first term in office, but this is not a new social media platform. We’ll have additional information coming on that front in the very near future.? https://t.co/m9ymmHofmI
Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump had also launched a website named The Office of Donald Trump (45office.com) early in March. As per reports, the website allows Trump supporters to request their participation in the events, submit letters and ask for personalised greetings. The website includes a page highlighting Trump’s time in the White House and a space dedicated to the former First Lady which outlines the work done by her during Donald Trump’s tenure as the president.
Capitol Hill violence
Washington DC had erupted in chaos on Wednesday, January 6 after supporters of Donald Trump stormed Capitol Hill and breached its premises. Capitol Hill is the seat of the US Senate and the House of Representatives. Protesters had entered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office as well.
Moreover, one woman was shot by law enforcement authorities during the chaos and later lost her life. Also, pipe bombs were found at the Republican National Committee’s headquarters. They were detonated after the staff was evacuated.
Donald Trump had addressed his supporters and asked them to go home. However, he continued to maintain that the presidential elections of 2020 were “fraudulent” and “stolen” even as he urged his supporters to “go home in peace”. He emphasized peace and law and order in his message. Twitter had limited the reach of the appeal and Facebook had removed it citing the risk of violence.
More than 100 priests of the Church of South India (CSI) tested positive for Chinese coronavirus after attending a retreat in Munnar last month. Of these, two have lost their lives and five are in serious condition. Amongst those who are infected are CSI moderator and bishop of South Kerala diocese Rev A Dharmaraj Rasalam. He is currently quarantining at home. As reported by TNIE, the COVID protocols were broken at the retreat.
The annual retreat, a conference of priests and community members, was held at the CSI Christ Church in Munnar from April 13 to 17 amid the second wave of coronavirus pandemic. As many as 350 priests from various churches had attended the congregation. Quoting sources, TNIE reported that despite repeated requests to postpone the meet, the organisers went ahead with the same. Further, priests were warned of disciplinary action if they failed to attend the event.
The priests had travelled to Munnar from LMS Church in Thiruvananthapuram in a bus. Rev Bijumon, 52, the vicar of CSI church, Kazhukode, near Vattappara passed away due to COVID last Thursday and Rev Shine B Raj, 43, the vicar of CSI church, Punnakkamugal, near Thirumala, lost his battle to COVID on Tuesday. Many infected priests are currently undergoing treatment at Dr Somervell CSI Medical College Hospital at Karakonam while some are home quarantined.
As per the report, Jacob Mathew, secretary of Church of South India Trust Association and member of the Joint Christian Council, alleged that the directions of the government and council were ignored for organising the retreat. Annual retreats of Central Kerala diocese and Kochi diocese were also postponed due to increase in COVID cases. But the CSI South Kerala held the retreat without informing state government, he alleged.
The CSI, however, is refuting the allegations. T T Praveen, secretary of South Kerala diocese of CSI, claimed that the infection was not spread from retreat and blamed ‘vested interest’ for spreading ‘negative campaign’. He claimed that the retreat was organised as per COVID protocol and also had state government permission. While he admitted that some priests had tested positive for COVID, he maintained that the infection did not spread from the retreat. He claimed that the two priests died because of other illness they were suffering from.
However, one priest, who attended the retreat and subsequently tested positive for COVID, said that at least 30 priests had been hospitalised. No action has been taken against the organisers of the retreat as it was already held last month.
Kerala is currently second worst affected state in terms of total coronavirus cases. Over 17 lakh people have tested positive for COVID in Kerala, of which 3.57 lakh are active cases.
In a press release today, the Government of India announced that it will allow mobile carriers to conduct 5G trials with original equipment manufacturers like Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and C-DOT. However, there was a notable exclusion from the list, the Chinese company Huawei.
Major mobile carriers like Bharti Airtel, Reliance JioInfocomm , Vodafone Idea will conduct trials along with the government-owned MTNL in urban, rural, and semi-urban areas, according to the statement from the Ministry of Communications.
Chinese companies like Huawei and its smaller rival ZTE have not been named in these six-month long trials. These trials aim to test 5G technology and gear in varying environments.
Back in March, two government officials told Reuters about the national security implications that come with approving Chinese technology in sensitive sectors. “We cannot prioritize economic gains if an investment poses a national security risk,” said one of the officials.
Huawei and ZTE are under scrutiny for allegedly installing “backdoor” vulnerabilities to spy for the Chinese government, according to the Reuters report.
India is the world’s second-largest market by number of phone users. The Government is wary of awarding new technology business to Chinese companies mainly because of two reasons, the security concerns, and a desire to help local telecoms equipment manufacturers.
Huawei has already been banned in many Western countries like, Australia, U.K., and U.S.A because of security concerns in relation to spying.
Note: The report has been updated with latest information.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers have unleashed carnage in West Bengal, following the party’s victory in the Vidhan Sabha polls. On Monday (May 3), the BJP informed that two of its female polling agents were gang-raped by TMC hoodlums in the Nanoor assembly constituency.
India Today reported that one of the victims of gang rape had been missing since the incident. The two female election agents were working for the Nanoor BJP candidate Tarakeswar Saha. At the same time, several female BJP workers were molested in 12 villages that fall under the Nanoor Vidhan Sabha constituency.
(Video Courtesy: Youtube/India Today)
In another incident, TMC goons belonging to the Muslim community were seen thrashing female BJP workers in broad daylight in Kendamari village in Nandigram. BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted about the incident, along with a disturbing video. It could be seen that the two BJP workers were thrashed to the ground by two men. They pulled the victims by the hair while the onlookers stood as mute spectators.
The man behind the camera could be heard encouraging the accused men to continue with their assault. The women fought back, and tried to defend themselves after being assaulted in full public glare. One of the men intervened and the two victims could later be seen walking away.
— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) May 3, 2021
TMC tries to trivialise the incidents
Following the accusations of gang-rape and mass molestation in the Birbhum district, TMC leader Derek o’ Brien tried to whitewash the incidents. While labeling the allegations as ‘rumour mongering’, he asked the West Bengal police to ascertain facts.
BJP to conduct a nationwide protest against TMC
The Trinamool Congress has gone about its way unabated in targeting the BJP workers in the state. In light of the bloodshed and unspeakable atrocities committed against its party workers, the BJP has announced a nationwide dharna on May 5.
The BJP has announced a nationwide dharna on 5th May against the widespread violence unleashed by TMC workers post the election results in West Bengal.
This protest will be held following all Covid protocols across all organisational mandals of the BJP.
“The BJP has announced a nationwide dharna on 5th May against the widespread violence unleashed by TMC workers post the election results in West Bengal. This protest will be held following all Covid protocols across all organisational mandals of the BJP,” the official handle of the party tweeted.
TMC goons attack BJP workers in West Bengal
On Sunday (May 2), the residence of an active BJP worker named Bishwanath Dhar was attacked by TMC goons. The incident took place in Ghola Mallikpara in Panihati municipality in the North24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Reportedly, the hoodlums first destroyed the CCTV cameras and then began looting the BJP worker’s residence. They broke open the almirah and stole cash and ornaments. On their way out, they also damaged his Maruti car and a Royal Enfield (bullet) bike.
In another incident, a BJP worker was assaulted mercilessly at his own residence allegedly by the workers of the ruling TMC. The incident took place in Kismatdapat village of Trimohini in the South Dinajpur district of West Bengal. Reportedly, TMC goons ambushed the victim’s house and attacked him. The BJP worker sustained head injuries and bled profusely. The miscreants also entered his house and vandalised the property.
On Sunday (May 2), a BJP worker named Avijit Sarkar took to Facebook to narrate the harrowing tale of violence that he was subjected to by the TMC goons. The video was uploaded just hours before he was lynched to death by the miscreants. “I don’t know how to come live (on Facebook). They hurled bombs right in front of my eyes and vandalised my house and the party office. My only mistake is that I am a BJP worker.,” he recounted. He said that the attack took place in Ward no. 30 in the Beleghata neighbourhood in Kolkata under the supervision of TMC leaders Paresh Paul and Swapan Samandar.
Update:
West Bengal Police has denied the report of BJP woman being raped and termed it fake.
West Bengal Police’s tweet
West Bengal Police shared screenshot and added a hashtag ‘fake news alert’ for the above reports.
Birbhum SP denies allegation of rape
NN Tripathi, Birbhum SP on Tuesday said that the allegations of rape are false.
Since y'day news on rape of 2 women & molestation of some other women in Nanoor is being circulated on social media. We verified the info & also spoke to local BJP leaders, they're unaware of any such incident. I inform everyone that it's fake news: NN Tripathi, SP, Birbhum, WB pic.twitter.com/F17iEq4yH5
Violence has swept West Bengal since Sunday this week after the election results confirmed a TMC victory. Several cases of violent incidents have been reported from across the state as goons and supporters of the TMC went on a rampage against their political opponents, especially against the BJP, assaulting and allegedly killing them, vandalising and ransacking their offices. Social media is replete with videos of the violence that pervaded the state in the wake of the assembly election results.
As videos of blood-curdling violence started doing the rounds on the internet, the nation’s attention was drawn towards the rampant savagery exhibited by the TMC supporters against their political rivals in West Bengal. Questions were being raised of the TMC government in the state for condoning the violence and using it as a tool to inflict retribution against their opponents.
However, no sooner did the videos of the violence in West Bengal went viral, some ‘fact checkers’ such as Alt News and Boom Live rushed to the defense of the TMC by promoting old videos of violence and thereby discrediting the reports of post-poll violence emanating from West Bengal.
Alt News promotes old videos to call into question claims of post-poll violence in West Bengal
Alt News recently published an article in which it claimed that an old video of a mob attacking police in Odisha is being shared as post-poll violence in West Bengal. The article said the old video was used to spread “misinformation” on social media and add “fuel to the fire”.
Snapshot of Alt News article promoting an old video to discredit violence in West Bengal
Needless to say, this article by Alt News was shared with the express purpose of casting aspersions on the reports of violence taking place in West Bengal. By alleging that old videos are in circulation, Alt News attempted to subtly insinuate that there was no post-poll violence in the state and that a malicious campaign was run on social media to tarnish the TMC government.
In its pursuit to raise doubts about the authenticity of violence in West Bengal, Alt News promoted irrelevant and old videos from the past so that they can be ‘fact-checked’ and people could be misled into believing that violence in West Bengal is an exaggeration, or even worse—a propaganda campaign.
Incidentally, soon after the videos of grisly violence carried out by TMC goons against their political rivals surfaced on the internet, many social media users, who are aware of Alt News’ shenanigans, foreboded that the so-called fact-checker would soon start promoting and ‘fact-checking’ old videos to provide a cover for the brutalities carried out in Bengal. Their prediction turned out to be true as Alt News tried to invalidate the claims of violence in West Bengal with its ‘fact-check’ of an old video.
Won’t be surprised if Faultnews comes up with this “fact-check” to cover up for the ongoing violence in Bengal – “Two-year old video from Bangladesh passed off as violence in Bengal”
Hey @AltNews have u planted a couple of fake videos as #BengalViolence videos that you can then prove fake and declare all videos fake?
— Princess Woke Liberal ?️? (@workingboxwala) May 3, 2021
Guys at @AltNews must be searching for old violence to post from their fake profiles claiming to be from WB today which they will fact check and declare that there is no violence. https://t.co/V1O33FGfpD
— Raju Das | ৰাজু দাস (@rajudasonline) May 3, 2021
This has been the typical modus operandi of Alt News for some time now where they try to discredit a narrative by leaning on ‘fact-checks’ of old videos and highlighting insignificant aspects while brushing damning facts under the rug.
For instance, during the start of the pandemic last year, a video of a vegetable seller applying saliva on his produce had gone viral on the internet. Alt News had then tried to counter the video by claiming that it was from February, before the coronavirus hit India. The fact that he was applying saliva to vegetable was an inconsequential nugget of information to Alt News. Rather, they were more interested in contesting the date on which the incident took place.
Here too, they have selectively picked up obscure videos posted on the internet, and ‘fact-checked’ it to imply that the claims of violence in West Bengal are fake or are wildly exaggerated.
Besides Alt News, another so-called fact-checking website Boom Live was also found promoting an old video to suggest that the violence in West Bengal is blown out of proportion. In its article, Boom Live stated that an old and edited video showing people carrying weapons and dancing to a remixed version of ‘Khela Hobe’ is being passed off as a recent one. This again is a cunning ruse to cast aspersions on the actual violence currently underway in West Bengal and misleading readers into believing that old videos of violence are in circulation on the internet.
Source: Boom Live
Instances of post-poll violence in West Bengal following election results
Contrary to what left propganda websites like Alt News and Boom Live would have us believe, West Bengal was in grips of violence ever since the election results trend started titling in the favour of the ruling dispensation Trinamool Congress.
Soon after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) surpassed the BJP in Vidhan Sabha elections, the goons of the ruling dispensation unleashed violence against their political opponents. While the TMC had secured 213 seats, the BJP managed to win 77 constituencies. There have been multiple incidents of violence inflicted by TMC goons from several places across the state.
Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court over the matter and the Congress party and the Left Front have accused TMC of attacking their cadres as well.
The mainstream media has played a mischievous game over the comments of a central officer who shares his name in order to cast aspersions on Union Minister Piyush Goyal. While the report accurately mentions that the Piyush Goyal in question is not the Union Minister but the additional secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the image they used is that of the Railway Minister himself.
Reports quote the bureaucrat as saying, “It is very important for all the hospitals that they ensure judicious use of oxygen as per the guidelines issued in this context by the Union Health Ministry. Many efforts are being undertaken in this context and we are getting positive results also.” However, the feature image is that of Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
The quoted comments further say, “Oxygen is available in adequate quantity in the country and efforts are being made to transport it to hospitals in the shortest possible time.” “If we undertake this battle together, I have no doubt that we will be victorious,” the bureaucrat added as per the reports.
However, the headline mischievously says, “No shortage of oxygen in country; use it judiciously: Goyal amid Covid-19 surge”. Combined with the feature image that was used, the intent becomes evident.
The News Caravan was not the only media outlet which indulged in such mischief. Punjab Kesari went a step further and mentioned the comments on the feature image of Union Minister Piyush Goyal himself, thus conveying the impression that it was him who made the comments.
Source: The Punjab Kesari
it needs to be emphasized here that the comments were made by additional secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Piyush Goyal, and not the Union Minister for Railways with the same name.
On Tuesday, BJP leader and Cabinet Minister in the Assam government Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that around 300-400 BJP workers have fled Bengal with their family members in order to escape the post-election violence wreaked by TMC goons.
In a sad development 300-400 @BJP4Bengal karyakartas and family members have crossed over to Dhubri in Assam after confronted with brazen persecution & violence. We’re giving shelter & food. @MamataOfficial Didi must stop this ugly dance of demonocracy!
Sarma clarified that the BJP karyakartas had crossed over from Bengal to Dhubri in Assam after being attacked and confronted with “brazen persecution & violence”. All of this violence comes just two days after the TMC stormed back to power.
The BJP workers from Bengal are being provided with food and shelter, according to Sarma. The BJP leader also condemned Mamata Banerjee, telling her to “stop this ugly dance of demonocracy”.
Soon after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) surpassed the BJP in Vidhan Sabha elections, the goons of the ruling dispensation unleashed violence against their political opponents. One worker, Avijit Sarkar, was murdered soon after he posted a video on Facebook speaking about the attack at his home.
Multiple videos have also come forward that shows that a spate of looting, arson, and violence has erupted in the state. The MHA has also asked the state government to submit a report on the post-poll violence targeting political opponents.
While senior Congress leaders such as Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor are ecstatic with the TMC victory and BJP loss in West Bengal, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury found the elections where Congress could not even open its account a deeply ‘humiliating loss’.
In an exclusive interview with the Indian Express, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury pondered upon the things that went wrong for the party in the West Bengal assembly elections and urged it to ‘come out of Twitter and Facebook’. Reflecting on the poll debacle, Chowdhury admitted that there is a need for change in the functioning.
Deflated by the stinging defeat in West Bengal, Chowdhury said that he cannot expect any “bright prospects in this present situation”.
Congress needs to come out of online world to the real world: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
“So if the Congress is able to put forth its point more vigorously and not confine itself to Twitter or WhatsApp but hit the streets in support of common people… otherwise this opportunity also will be lost. We should hit the streets because there’s no dearth of issues and people are suffering a lot,” Adhir said about the road ahead for the Congress party.
Talking about what resulted in the rout of the Congress party in West Bengal, Adhir held the party’s rudderless approach in the elections being one of them. “The TMC wanted to retain power and the BJP wanted to wrest power. We did not have such stakes, our fight was for survival,” he said.
Chowdhury also rued about how the Muslim population in the state abandoned the Congress party and rallied behind Mamata Banerjee. He said Mamata Banerjee was successful in exploiting the situation in Bengal and convincing Muslims that she is their only saviour.
The senior Congress leader also talked about the opportunistic alliance between the Congress party and the Left. He admitted that the likelihood of some Left cadres shifting their allegiance to the TMC could not be denied. He said, “The Muslim vote went to Trinamool and the Hindu vote went to the BJP. For us, there is nothing left.”
Absence of Rahul Gandhi from the election hustings demoralised the cadres: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
On being asked if the Congress high command abandoned its support to the West Bengal Congress unit, Chowdhury said that the morale of the party workers had taken a hit after Rahul Gandhi stopped organising rallies and election meets in the state. It gave the TMC, Adhir argued, an opportunity to “humiliate” the West Bengal Congress unit.
“We have been decimated by Mamata Banerjee regionally, we have been decimated by Modiji nationally. The BJP is the threat for us nationally and Mamata Banerjee is the threat for us regionally. So where should we go?” Adhir wondered on the lack of support from the central leadership of the Congress party.
When asked about his future plans, a despondent Adhir replied: “Nothing. I have been defeated in a humiliating manner. At this point, you may call me an ex-MP. If the results give any indication, certainly I have become an ex-MP.”
Adhir also lauded BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, stating that it was Sarma who made the difference in Assam and enabled BJP victory in the state assembly elections.
Ready to resign from the West Bengal Congress President post of AICC decides so: Chowdhury
Responding to the question of whether he is going to resign after such a humiliating loss, Adhir said that he had never wanted to be the President of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee but on Sonia Gandhi’s insistence, he accepted the post. He said he is comfortable with whatever AICC decides and is ready take on the responsibility of whatever is asked of him.
The Congress party and the Left suffered an embarrassing defeat in the West Bengal state elections as the alliance failed to attract voters to vote for them. The Congress had a vote share of 2.94 per cent and polled 1,757,148, not winning a single seat out of the 292-member assembly seats.
