Nandigram assumes huge importance for West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee who is engaged in a straight showdown with BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, her once-trusted loyalist, in the constituency. For this reason, the TMC supremo is going all out to do whatever it takes to woo her voters. Speaking at a rally at Sona Chura, Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee said: “I could have contested from any other constituency but I have chosen Nandigram to pay my respect to the mothers and sisters of this place”.
I could have contested from any other constituency but I have chosen Nandigram to pay my respect to the mothers & sisters of this place. To salute the Nandigram movement, I chose Nandigram over Singur: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Sona Chura, Nandigram pic.twitter.com/4Fhdyiuw2z
Ironically, Mamata Banerjee’s statement came in hours after it was reported how the wife of a BJP worker was reportedly raped in the Tentul Bari area in Nandigram Block No.2 in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, by her own party goons.
The incident took place ahead of the upcoming polls in the Nandigram Vidhan Sabha constituency on April 1.
As per reports, the victim’s husband is an active worker of the BJP. He was threatened by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons on several occasions in the past. According to him, he was busy participating in the election rally of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday. On returning home in the evening, he found that his wife had been missing.
Later, the BJP worker discovered that his wife had been lying in an injured and unconscious state, behind his house in a canal. With the help of the locals, he was able to rescue his wife. Her mouth, hands, and legs were tied and her saree was tightly knotted around her neck. The BJP worker said that his wife’s body had multiple bruises and was evidence of rape.
The State unit of the BJP has accused the incumbent Trinamool-Congress party members of rape and attempt to murder.
West Bengal has become a hotbed for political violence. Since the time the Bharatiya Janata Party has made successful inroads into the state, TMC goons have resorted to uncontrolled hooliganism and unleashed severe atrocities on innocent people of the state with divergent political opinions. Today’s incident also is hardly surprising. But what is shocking is Mamata Banerjee’s double standards where she talks about fighting for women while her partymen allegedly raped a woman who was the wife of a BJP worker.
Former Left-backed Kerala MP, Joyce George, has caused a controversy following his comments on former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. George says that girls should be careful of Rahul Gandhi as the latter is yet to marry. He made the comments on Tuesday while addressing a rally in support of CPI(M) leader and minister MM Mani.
Joyce George said, “Rahul Gandhi’s programme is such that he will only visit women colleges. He will go there and teach girls to bend. My dear children, please don’t bend and stand in front of him…he is not married.” Mani, present on the stage, was spotted laughing.
Rahul Gandhi's programs are held only in women's colleges. He goes there & teaches girls how to stand straight, how to bend. Don't go near him & do such things.. he isn't married: Joyce George, former Left independent MP during campaign for State minister MM Mani, in Idukki y'day pic.twitter.com/kG6sfTSdMG
The LDF and the UDF is locked in a tight battle in the state with the BJP investing significant time and resources as well. The elections are scheduled to occur on the 6th of April with results to be declared on the 2nd of May.
Vehicles and fake number plates have had critical roles to play in the Antilia bomb scare case. Two days earlier, API Riyaz Kazi, the close aide of Mumbai tainted cop Sachin Vaze, was caught on CCTV entering a number plate shop in Vikhroli. Kazi allegedly went there with an intention to destroy evidence. Additionally, the explosive-laden Scorpio car, Vaze’s personal Mercedes car and the white Innova, which was suspected to be used in addition to the Scorpio, all these vehicles recovered by the NIA so far have been found with fake number plates.
Now in another fresh twist in the Sachin Vaze case, it has been learnt that two more vehicle registration plates, with the same number, were recovered from the Mithi river, where NIA had sent professional divers on March 28, in a bid to recover crucial evidence from the river bed.
On Monday, a day after the NIA officials recovered two CPUs, a laptop, two digital video recorders (DVRs), and two vehicle registration plates from the Mithi river, a government official based in Aurangabad has claimed that the number plates retrieved from the Mithi river belonged to him.
“I am really worried. I don’t know how my stolen car’s number plate reached the river”, said Vijay Madhukar Nade while speaking to the media. He added that he has registered an FIR in Aurangabad regarding the same and the city police are probing the case.
Madhukar Nade of Aurangabad. The number plates retrieved from Mithi yesterday belong to his stolen Maruti Eco .@fpjindiapic.twitter.com/Ep5H0rC6JG
Nade has claimed that his car was stolen from Aurangabad’s Uddhavrao Patil Chowk on November 16, 2020, and he had filed an FIR regarding the same. “My car – with the number MH-20-FP-1539 – was stolen on 16 November 2020 and an FIR was filed. I have a copy of the same. For three months, there was no information but yesterday, I was informed about it,” said Nade.
The NIA is now reportedly probing why Vaze used that particular registration number.
The central agency had reached the spot on Sunday at around 3:15 PM. Reports suggest that a group of 10 divers conducted the search for three hours and recovered crucial evidence. An NIA official said around seven NIA officials took Sachin Vaze to the spot from where he had discarded the evidence after damaging it with a hammer. Investigators believe that the recovered evidence is by far one of the most important recoveries made in the investigation. The search continued till 6 PM.
Sachin Vaze tried to destroy the evidence with a hammer
NIA has reportedly said, “During the interrogation of accused Sachin Vaze, he disclosed willingly to show the place where he threw the material used in the crime and destroyed the evidence. Accordingly, two independent witnesses were called, and his voluntary statement was recorded. Further, the accused showed the place as Mithi River, BKC, Bandra (East), Mumbai.”
According to the reports, assistant police inspector Riyazuddin Kazi had revealed that the evidence was thrown in the Mithi River during the interrogation.
On Sunday, the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi was reopened for prayers on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, a year after it was shut down for violating Coronavirus protocols.
As per reports, around 50 Muslims offered prayers on Shab-e-Barat at the 6-storeyed building, amidst tight security. The Waqf Board, represented by Ramesh Gupta and advocate Wajeeh Shafiq, had urged the Court to allow ‘some Muslims’ to pray at the mosque inside the Markaz. They also asked the Court to decide the matter before April 13 as many Muslims want to offer prayers during Ramazan. On March 24, the Union government told the Delhi High Court that 50 people chosen by the Waqf Board can offer prayers inside the Markaz.
The names of the individuals were provided to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the area. They were allowed entry after a policeman verified their names with the list of the 50 people. Markaz volunteer Saif Ahmed claimed that all social distancing guidelines were followed. He said, “Fifty people have been allowed as of now… Government guidelines are being strictly followed. We hope that just like other places, be it a masjid, mandir or a gurdwara, where visitors have been allowed, people are allowed here too.”
Delhi Police close down markets to prevent large gatherings
When the prayers began at the mosque inside the Markaz, the cops ordered the closure of shops in the market to prevent overcrowding. A police official emphasised, “This is festival time and Covid is spreading fast. We cannot allow many people to gather.” The recent congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz comes amidst the recent guidelines of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority banning large gatherings for festivals.
Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin Markaz and Coronavirus super-spreader
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation, which took place in Nizamuddin Markaz in the first half of March last year, became a mega-spreader of coronavirus in India, with members hiding from authorities and carrying the infection to almost all states in India. The persons who had attended the event, and their family members and those who came into contact with them tested positive regularly, contributing to the increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
The Tablighi jamaat event in Delhi wreaked havoc in the country. The Markaz event was not only attended by Indian Muslims but also foreign nationals, some of whom were found covid positive.
The alarm bells should have started ringing when seven Indonesian nationals associated with the organization tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus in Telangana after travelling from Delhi to Karimnagar for an Ijtema. However, it was only later that the full scope of the Tablighi Jamaat’s contribution to the spreading of the virus became prominent when nearly 300 Jamaatis in Delhi’s Banglewali Masjid had to be taken to hospital for suspected coronavirus symptoms, many testing positive eventually.
The Manipur Government has caved in to pressure from liberals and rescinded an order that was passed to curb the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar. Three days after the initial order was passed on the 26th of January, it was rescinded on Monday.
Source: Rajat Pandit (TOI)/Twitter
The initial order included directions that district administrations should not set up camps to provide food and shelter. Simultaneously, the order also directed that civil society organisations should not be permitted to open camps for food and shelter. The order said that should people enter the country to take refuge, they should be politely turned away.
The order has now been rescinded. Special Secretary for Home in Manipur, Gyan Prakash, said that his earlier order was misconstrued and interpreted differently. Prakash also said that the state government was taking all humanitarian measures to help the Burmese nationals.
The Manipur Govt order that was rescinded
Manipur Government had come under intense pressure from liberals who claimed that the order was ‘inhumane’. Food and shelter for those crossing over would be interpreted as an incentive for more Burmese nationals to follow suit into India. And illegal immigration continues to pose a grave threat to North East India.
The influx of illegal immigrants has been triggered by the coup in Myanmar and the subsequent crackdown on protesters by the Burmese security forces.
While addressing a rally in Palakkad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a rather unusual jibe at the ruling party in Kerala. Narendra Modi said, “Judas betrayed Lord Christ for a few pieces of silver and LDF has betrayed Kerala for a few pieces of gold.”
Judas betrayed Lord Christ for a few pieces of silver. LDF has betrayed Kerala for a few pieces of gold: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public rally in Palakkad, Kerala pic.twitter.com/VLhfH8daOw
PM Modi was hinting at the Kerala gold scam where individuals with close links with the Kerala government and CM’s office, including principal secretary M Shivashankar, have been arrested.
Addressing a large crowd, he added, the friendly agreement between UDF and LDF has been the worst-kept secret of Kerala politics. He asserted that the fixed match between UDF and LDF will be rejected by the people of Kerala in this Assembly Election.
The fixed match of UDF and LDF is going to be rejected by Kerala. Watch from Palakkad. https://t.co/iFfxm5PY6b
Focusing on the youth and the first-time voters, he said that the first-time voters are now questioning this fixed match between the two major political alliances of Kerala. He added, “Over the last few years, the politics of Kerala is seeing a major shift. This shift is being driven by the aspirations of the youth, specially the first time voter in the state.”
Taking pride in the achievements of BJP’s most esteemed candidate, ‘Metroman’ Sreedharan Ji, Prime Minister Modi said, “He is a man who has done excellent work to make India modern and improve connectivity, a man admired by all sections of society, has devoted himself to Kerala’s progress. As a true son of Kerala, he thought beyond power, stood firm on his commitment to Kerala.”
BJP leaders attack the LDF government on gold scams
Union Minister Piyush Goyal in a roadshow in Thissur, attacked the LDF government saying, “The Left-front and UDF governments completely ignored the development of Kerala..Communists and Congress are busy in one scam after another. Communists led LDF does not believe in small scams and they do gold scams in the state now. It is a shame that the investigation is leading straight to the Chief Minister’s Office.”
The infamous Kerala gold smuggling scam is being probed by Central agencies like NIA, ED and the customs after Swapna Suresh, a woman with close connections with the LDF government and CM’s office was found smuggling gold under fake documents of the UAE consulate.
“Kerala’s sweetheart as she is known is contesting from this constituency,” says Nidhi Suresh of Newslaundry, as her car makes its way through scenic Mattanur. The apparent goal? To interview KK Shailaja, the world-famous health minister of Kerala. As I watched the Youtube video, I tried to steal glimpses of god’s own country, unspoiled by the spread of BJP. Folks, the future is narrow roads, broken pavements and shiny political posters. As a kid, I remember reading 2021: A Kerala Odyssey.
Anyways. I first became aware of Nidhi Suresh yesterday, when I came across hundreds of people on social media praising her journalism. Due to her polite yet determined line of questioning, BJP’s 88-year-old debutant politician E Sreedharan had been forced into an unsightly retreat during an interview. Now, the BJP currently has just 1 seat in Kerala’s 140 member assembly, the only time it has ever won a seat in the state. Opinion polls suggest the BJP could capture up to 3 or even 4 seats this time. If Nidhi Suresh can ask such fearless and probing questions to a tiny opposition party, I was excited to imagine what she will do before a cabinet minister in the ruling government.
Both powerful women did not disappoint. If Nidhi set new standards for independent media, the minister did the same for political honesty and transparency. I would encourage everyone to watch the full thing, which is on Youtube here. To begin with, KK Shailaja’s husband positioned himself between the minister and the interviewer, leaned backwards and made himself comfortable. This meant that both Nidhi and KK Shailaja had to sit up, with the interviewer having to stretch out her arm to get the mike close enough to the minister’s face. Witness this, folks. This is what things will look like in the future when patriarchy has finally been consigned to the dustbin.
Screenshot from the Newslaundry video
I will now summarize and paraphrase their questions and answers a little, just to keep things short and give you the highlights. Also, because I am sort of rude, I will insert a couple of my own observations here and there about the flow of their conversation. For the full context and the full conversation, you can always refer to the video on Youtube here.
Nidhi: Shailaja Teacher, I want to start by asking you; do you feel like a rockstar?
(My comments: Fantastic question Nidhi, right off the bat. Now we can find out if Shailaja is one of those arrogant rockstars who always goes around telling everyone that they are a rockstar.)
K K Shailaja: I never felt like that. Some are saying like that, but we are working always … I have a very good team with me … Thousands and thousands of workers are actual heroes.
(My comments: That answer could have gone wrong in so many ways, but she handled it well. Her inherent humility did the trick for her.)
Nidhi: … You had to fight Covid … you hold the position of Health Minister and now you are contesting as an MLA … are you a little tired by any chance?
(My comments: She is a politician holding a cabinet portfolio, actually doing the job that fits the description of that portfolio and now also contesting an election! Of course, she is tired. The question is: can Nidhi get her to admit to this unprecedented burden?)
K K Shailaja: I have to rise early … start my work at 8:30 am … it will end at 9 o’clock, 9:30 etc… and after that also we have so many meetings… we can sleep after 12:30…
(My comments: That’s our beloved ‘Teacher’ for you. Just putting the facts before us and letting us decide.)
Nidhi : Were you surprised when party fielded you from Mattanur or was it surprise only for media?
K K Shailaja: I don’t know why media surprised … Mattanur is my place.
(My comments: Any young people watching, please take notes. This is how a seasoned journalist teases out the inside scoops. Also, appreciate how KK Shailaja is open and transparent about the inner workings of her party)
Nidhi : Something else I want to address is the political killings in Kannur….
(My comments: Brace yourselves, folks, because this is going to get heated. Just watch how Nidhi speaks the truth to power. As blameless as KK Shailaja is, as part of the ruling government, I believe she must answer on the killings of RSS workers in her state. Anyway, I am sorry to interrupt. Let Nidhi continue with her question)
Nidhi (contd) : Will you be looking at how to curb political killings at least in this constituency?
(My comments: My pulse is racing. Will she say “yes” or “no”? If she says “no,” this could be a massive embarrassment for the CPM. Not easy for the folks in power to face an expert journalist such as this.)
K K Shailaja: We are against political killings…
(My comments: Phew! That was close. But I know Nidhi will press her further; I just know she will)
Nidhi : … You have grown up in politics… Are political killings a new phenomenon, or was it also there when you were a student?
K K Shailaja : It is not a new thing …
(My comments: The questions are getting tougher by the minute. But KK Shailaja is calm and collected as always as she proceeds to give us the scholarly context on the history of political killings in Kerala. Perhaps that is why they call her ‘Teacher.’)
Nidhi: One thing I want to ask is in Mattanur in 2018, there was a young Congress worker Shoaib who was killed by 4 CPM members … initially the CPM denied but later expelled 4 people from the party. … His father has said that nobody from CPM has yet visited them or offered any condolence….
(My comments: Thank you Nidhi for asking this question. Be it the murder of Congress worker Shoaib or the murder of RSS workers, the ruling government in Kerala must answer)
KK Shailaja: We are not against any family … at that time, the situation was like that, their enmity and …. but Shoaib’s incident is not the only thing, there are so many things like that….Any death or any kinds of killings are not correct..And I am not going deep into the incident…
(My comments: This was the toughest part and KK Shailaja handled it with grace and humility. Fate is fate. We all have no control over the ‘situation,’ least of all the ruling government.)
Nidhi : Coming to your Covid related work … you have received a lot of international awards …
I will not go into the rest of the conversation. I am sure Nidhi is trying hard to ask tough questions on this. But with all those awards that ‘Teacher’ got, what is there to even ask?
The conversation went on for a while after that. Nidhi asked more questions about being a woman politician, about male attitudes, both to her and her husband. She ended by asking what message the minister would like to give to young people.
Now that was really inspiring. I think you would now have a much better understanding of why we need independent media that can speak truth to power.
Let me leave you with an exercise. You have four sentences below. Three of these are taken from Orwell’s famous dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty Four. The remaining one is taken from the slogan of one of India’s most independent and fearless news organizations. Can you spot which one it is?
(1) War is peace
(2) Freedom is slavery
(3) Ignorance is strength
(4) Pay to keep news free
Your time starts now. Shailaja Teacher is watching you…
Illegal immigrants held at the pre-departure immigration detention facility at Corinth, Greece set the facility on fire following the suicide of a migrant on Saturday last week. Riots broke out at the detention centre amidst chants of “Allahu Akbar”, as illegal immigrants detained at the facility set aflame the building provided for their accommodation before the deportation to their respective countries.
According to Twitter handle @KreatelyOSINT, an Open Source Intelligence account that keeps an eye on developments across the world, the uprising at the detention centre was primarily led by illegal Pakistanis held at the detention centre.
????Riots in a “Pre-departure detention center” (detention center for people who should be deported), in Corinth on 27/03
? Uprising by illegal Pakistanis
? Takbir-Allahu Akbar chanted during the incident, they also set fire to the building pic.twitter.com/1ExAoQ7jgw
As per local reports, a young man of Turkish-Kurdish descent was found hanging in the toilet at the facility where approximately 700 illegal immigrants were housed. His body was discovered by other migrants staying at the camp who posted a photo of the tragic scene on the Kurdish language Pishti-News.
Rioting broke thereafter, with migrants setting fire to mattresses and throwing rocks and boulders at the police and firefighters before authorities managed to control the situation and disperse the rioters.
For some time now, Greece has been enduring the menace of illegal immigrants, many of whom transit through Turkey. Greek authorities believe that 90% of illegal immigrants in the EU enter through Greece, many fleeing because of unrest and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. With conditions in the Arab world deteriorating further, there is a larger influx of people wanting to leave their strife-torn country behind and immigrate to Europe.
Rise in sexual atrocities by men of Pakistani descent against local Greek population
Besides suffering from the violence that routinely breaks out at detention facility for illegal immigrants, Greece is also afflicted by a marked increase in crimes, especially of sexual nature, committed by immigrants of Pakistani origin. In the last few months, there have been several cases where Pakistani migrants were found committing unspeakable sexual atrocities against native women and children.
Recently, a Pakistani migrant was arrested in Ierapetra, Crete, for the assault and attempted rape of a local woman. The Pakistani migrant had approached a local woman named Despina Platanaki on Friday night near the old town hall and beat her while attempting to rape her.
On 26 March, a case of a Pakistani migrant trying to molest a 13-year-old boy came to the fore. In the Greek village of Messara, a Pakistani migrant reportedly attempted to kiss the minor boy on his lips. The boy had gone to the house of the Pakistani migrant, who was a neighbour of the boy’s relative. After the incident, the boy narrated the incident to his father, who in turn called the police and filed a complaint against the Pakistani migrant.
In February 2021, a court in Greece had extended the judicial custody of a man of Pakistani descent from 12 months to 18 months after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old minor girl. The incident occurred in April 2020 when the Pakistani migrant had raped the minor girl. The culprit had reportedly sexually assaulted the girl when she had come to her home.
On March 29, the container ship ‘Ever Given’ that was blocking the Suez Canal since March 23 was finally refloated. A team of experts had been working tirelessly to remove the container ship from the Canal so that the traffic can resume. As the container ship is all set to move out of the Canal, there are some concerns that the crew comprising of 25 Indians may face legal action by the Suez Canal Authorities.
According to a report published in the Times of India, the Indian Government and the seafarers’ organizations are concerned that the crew may face legal actions. There is a possibility of criminal charges against the crew members. Sources of TOI in the shipping industry said that one of the possibilities is that some of the crew members, including the captain, may be restrained from further travel and face house arrest until the investigation is completed. However, the ship management has not yet issued any statement on the legal procedures that the crew may have to face.
Shipping organisations in support of Indian crew
Captain Sanjay Prashar, a member of the National Shipping Board (NSB), said, “Firstly, it has to be ascertained as to how the giant ship ran aground. Facts can be checked by examining and listening to conversation in the ship voyage data recorder, and one can come to an understanding as to what caused the mishap.”
Abdulgani Serang, general secretary, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), said in a tweet that the organization supports the Indian crew members. He said, “NUSI has promised solidarity support to all our Indian seafarers onboard “EVER GIVEN” struck in the Suez Canal. I got in touch with them. The seafarers are fine but stressed out. They are not alone, and we will support them whenever required in whatever manner required.”
NUSI has promised solidarity support to all our Indian seafarers on board “EVER GIVER” struck in the Suez Canal. I got in touch with them. The seafarers are fine but stressed out. They are not alone and we will support them whenever required in whatever manner required.
Seafarers are often unfairly blamed for incidents at sea, says ITF’s David Heindel
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) issued a press release on March 29 and welcomed the news that Suez Canal will soon be unblocked. Stephen Cotton, the General Secretary, ITF, said, “We welcome news that the Ever Given has been freed and the Suez Canal will soon be unblocked. That’s fantastic for the sake of all the seafarers on this ship and others who have been waiting to transit the Suez Canal.”
David Heindel, chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section, said there should be a full investigation of the matter to assess the reasons that led to the blockage of the Suez Canal route. He added that it is essential not to rush to any conclusion until all facts are laid bare. “An open and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this event should be conducted, drawing on necessary input and expertise from the crew and their unions. Of course, the industry needs to learn any lessons that emerge from this incident,” he added.
Heindel said too often, seafarers are unfairly blamed for incidents at sea, thus, proper investigation is a must. “When proper investigations are conducted, we are able to stand back and see the systematic factors which drive bad outcomes,” he added. Calling seafarers heroes, he said that they need everyone’s support.
Three rooms of the 400-year-old Paruarkul Ashtagram Maha crematorium and Radhagobind Ashram have reportedly been burnt down by unidentified miscreants in Mohammadpur Upazila of Bangladesh’s Magura district, as per an India Today report. Parts of three houses, chariots and idols were also reduced to ashes in the fire which has now been brought under control.
Burnt area of the Asharam. Image source: India Today
Cleaning workers who came to the Gurudas temple saw parts of it up in flames and reported the matter to the administration and fire brigade, as informed by Swapna Rani Biswas, former vice-chairman of Mohammadpur Upazila Parishad. Swapna Rani called the incident an attempt to “sabotage harmony, incite communal clashes and create political unrest”.
Basudeb Kundu, general secretary of the district Puja Celebration Council, informed that the locals had told him about setting fire to three houses, including a temple, and chariots and idols. Kundu said that the miscreants set fire to seek the intervention of the administration.
Assistant Commissioner of Land Harekrishna Adhikari of Mohammadpur brushed the possibility of foul play by saying that the incident can be termed as “not a common occurrence” only after a thorough investigation. On the other hand, Superintendent of Police Zahirul Islam assured that strict legal action would be taken against those responsible if any evidence of sabotage is found upon investigating the matter. He added that no non-communal force in Magura, a district otherwise known for ‘communal harmony’, would be spared.
Bangladesh Burning
Violent protests have been underway in Bangladesh over the visit by the Indian Prime Minister and some protesters have died during attempts by the police to enforce law and order.
Islamists in Bangladesh also attacked Hindu Temples to protest against the official visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hefazat-e-Islami members attacked a train in the district of Brahmanbaria on Sunday, injuring ten. “They attacked the train and damaged its engine room and almost all the coaches,” a police official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity. Buses were burnt in Rajshahi district and hundreds clashed with the Police in Narayanganj, near Dhaka.
The Hefazat-e-Islami is a hardline Islamist organisation, whose members have been accused of persecuting Hindus in the past.
