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New York bill requires compulsory teaching of Dharmic symbol Swastika as a hate symbol: Here is why Hindus are outraged

OpIndia Staff
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New York bill requires compulsory teaching of Dharmic symbol Swastika as a hate symbol: Here is why Hindus are outraged

Back in January, New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky introduced a bill in the New York Senate which would mandatorily require schools in the State of New York to teach ‘Swastika’, an auspicious and sacred symbol for Dharmic religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, as an example of hate symbol. The bill titled ‘Senate Bill S2727’ conflates the Dharmic Swastika with the Nazi symbol of Hakenkreuz i.e. Hooked Cross, and requires compulsory teaching of the Swastika from grades 6 through 12 as an emblem of Nazi Germany and therefore, as a hate symbol.

This push by Democrat State Senator Kaminsky has resulted in outrage, with a Change.org petition demanding an amendment of the bill amassing more than 40,000 signatures. The AsaMai Hindu Temple & Community Center, Hicksville, NY is also a signatory to the petition. Another NY. State Senator Anna Kaplan, who is an additional co-sponsor to Kaminsky’s bill, represents the 7th Senate District where Hicksville is located and its community of almost 5,000 Indian-Americans residents.

It’s not the first time Kaminsky has pushed for a bill like this, lacking the clear distinction between the Dharmic symbol Swastika and the Nazi symbol of Hakenkreuz. In 2019, Kaminsky introduced a bill very similar to Senate Bill S2727, this one titled S6648, which conflated the terms ‘Swastika’ and ‘Nazi’, without any consideration to the sentiments of various Dharmic religious communities. As the bill gained traction in 2020, it was opposed by the American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), an initiative of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA).

In their statement at the time, AHAD said, “the proposed NY State Senate Bill SS 6648 requiring instruction regarding symbols of hate to be incorporated into the curricula for grades six through twelve perpetuate ignorance and promotes Hinduphobia in schools across New York state. AHAD pledges to work with other Hindu organizations to ensure that this legislation is modified to remove the references to Swastika.” 

Director of Advocacy and Awareness for VHPA at the time Utsav Chakrabarty also weighed in on this issue and said, “We acknowledge the horrid way the swastika has been misused and misinterpreted. Even though Hitler never used the word “Swastika”, and instead used the same symbol, calling it Hakenkreuz, for the past 70 years, the Swastika continues to remain a vilified and maligned symbol. This must be corrected. Instead of censoring the symbol, we must celebrate the positive history of it. We must reclaim it from Hitler and the followers of his hateful ideology. This wrong must be righted.” 

The Coalition of Hindus from North America (CoHNA) launched a petition campaign in mid-2020, asking people to write and email local representatives from New York State to rename the swastika as the Hakenkreuz in the S6648 bill, to promote and circulate educational materials about the difference between these two symbols and consult stakeholders from the Jewish community as well as the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, African-American and indigenous communities to help develop ‘culturally competent resources and messaging about this issue’. As a result of all these efforts, this bill stalled in the New York assembly. However, an extremely similar in the form of S2727 has emerged, again threatening to falsely label the Dharmic Swastika as a hate symbol.

In recent years, the dialogue between the Hindu and Jewish communities regarding the Swastika has generally been positive. The American Jewish Committee, one of the oldest Jewish advocacy groups in the United States, issued a brochure explaining the difference between the Swastika used by the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist communities for thousands of years and the twisted Nazi version of it.

Citing the Declaration of the Second Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit held in 2008, the brochure states, “The Swastika is an ancient and greatly auspicious symbol of the Hindu tradition. It is inscribed on Hindu temples, ritual altars, entrances, and even account books. A distorted version of this sacred symbol was misappropriated by the Third Reich in Germany, and abused as an emblem under which heinous crimes were perpetrated against humanity, particularly the Jewish people. The participants recognize that this symbol is, and has been sacred to Hindus for millennia, long before its misappropriation.”

Right now, Kaminsky’s bill S2727 is in the Education Committee of the New York, which will then later allow the bill to be voted upon in the New York Senate. Ignorance of the Dharmic Swastika cannot be an excuse to disallow an amendment for a distinction between Swastika and the Hakenkreuz. With over half a million estimated Indian-Americans living in New York state, it is imperative that the religious sentiments of these communities are respected.

If the Swastika were to be taught as a hate symbol compulsorily in New York schools, it would undoubtedly lead to a rise of discrimination or even violence against Dharmic communities like Hindus, Jains, Buddhists etc. for whom the Swastika holds deep religious or cultural significance. This would only result in a new cycle of hate and will go against the objective of the bill to reduce racial animosity. The only proper way forward is to amend S2727 to explicitly give reference to the importance and sacredness of the Swastika in Dharmic culture and make a clear distinction between the Dharmic Swastika and the Nazi Germany Hakenkreuz.

Did Intelligence Dep suspect police nexus in Maharashtra police posting since August 2020: Here is a letter written by the Commissioner

OpIndia Staff
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Did Intelligence Dep suspect police nexus in Maharashtra police posting since August 2020: Here is a letter written by the Commissioner

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has on Tuesday made explosive allegations against incumbent CM Uddhav Thackeray accusing the latter of ignoring a transfer posting racket in the state police. Fadnavis alleged that Thackeray chose to remain silent to save his goverment.

Since then, documents have surfaced that appear to bolster Fadnavis’s allegations against Uddhav Thackeray. In August 2020, Rashmi Shukla, Commissioner at the State Intelligence Department, had written a letter to Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Director General of Police, informing him of the alleged transfer racket.

The letter, dated 25th August 2020, states, “Upon the receipt of numerous complaints alleging that a network of ‘brokers’ had emerged, particularly individuals with firmly ingrained political connections, are engaged in arranging desired postings for police officers in exchange for massive monetary compensation.”

Rashmi Shukla’s letter

“In order to authenticate these charges, the phone numbers of the individuals allegedly involved in this dubious activity were placed under telephonic surveillance, with due regard to the established process. The reason for surveillance was to curtail the commitment of criminal offence(s) and prevent the possible breach of trust Consequently, upon review of the gathered data, it is clear that there is significant merit in these allegations,” it adds.

Rashmi Shukla states further, “It has been discovered that the afore-mentioned ‘brokers’ are in close contact and embroiled in these negotiations with several influential and. The police officers ranging from Inspectors to several high-ranking IPS officers are in contact with such undesirable individuals.”

Rashmi Shukla emphasises that the matter should be brought before the attention of CM Uddhav Thackeray as it would severely undermine the credibility of the ruling dispensation. A day later, DHP Jaiswal acknowledges the receipt of the letter. He too recommended that the matter be brought before Uddhav Thackeray and a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations.

DGP Jaiswal’s acknowledges the receipt of the letter on the 26th of August, 2020.

Earlier in the day, Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the call data he has acquired includes the names of senior IPS officers, non-IPS officers, junior officers, and politicians. He further accused the Maharashtra government of wrongfully “punishing” Commissioner of Intelligence Rashmi Shukla, who is a senior officer and worked under three governments.

Fadnavis said, “Rashmi Shukla, despite being the senior-most police officer, was overlooked for a promotion. She was promoted as Director-General of Civil Defence, a non-existent post not even sanctioned by the Cabinet. On the other hand, those whose names surface in the call intercepts have got the posts they wanted.”

They attacked us after we signed a consent affidavit in police station, attacked our women too: More tales of horror emerge from Sarai Kale Khan

रवि अग्रहरि
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They attacked us after we signed a consent affidavit in police station, attacked our women too: More tales of horror emerge from Sarai Kale Khan

The incident at Harijan Basti in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi is a bleak reminder of the persecution that Hindus face at the hand of Jihadis. On the night of March 20 (Saturday), a Muslim mob, infuriated by an interfaith marriage between a Hindu man and a Muslim woman, brutally attacked the Hindu residents of Harijan Basti at Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi.

The Dalit community was threatened with ‘Khoon ki Holi’ and called ‘Bh*ngi’, an extremely offensive casteist slur used to insult them during the violent episode.

OpIndia, which has been reporting on the matter from the ground, got in touch with the Hindu victims of the locality who recounted what ensued on Saturday night. The Hindus recounted how they were outnumbered by the rioters who entered every Hindu household on Saturday night to attack them.

One of the Hindus who resides in the locality named Ravi said that the mob of 50-60 Muslims surrounded the lane from all sides. He recounts that they had come back home at around 11 pm from the police station after both sides signed a consent affidavit in the police station. “We were about to sleep when loud clamours were heard from outside. Before we could realise, the mob entered our houses and attack us”, Ravi told OpIndia.

“The mob charged at us with knives and swords, attacked us, hurled bricks and stone at us, injuring many of our loved ones”, said Ravi, adding that out of the three lanes, the Muslim mob targeted two lanes. He said that the area is predominantly a Muslim dominated area with only 30-40 Hindu Valmiki family dwelling there.

“Our ladies and kids were assaulted and houses were broken”, rued Ravi, adding that his brother was attacked with a knife and an elderly lady of the locality was assaulted with a sword.

Speaking about the rising Muslim intolerance towards the Hindus in the area, Ravi said that not only he but even his forefathers have lived in the area but never have they experienced anything of this sort before.

He furthered that when the Muslim girls relative called Sabina came and started shouting and hurling abuses, we informed her that the girls family isn’t there and she should return to speak to them later, but she kept abusing and using filthy language, threatening us with dire consequences. “Kaat ke bhun ke kha jayungi” (will chop, roast and eat you’ll) said Sabina threatening the Hindus with ‘Khoon ki Holi’ and further assault. 

Then when we reached the police station in the evening, the Muslim accumulated there also threatened us with ‘Khoon ki Holi’.

Ravi adds that the arrested youths, namely Ali, Faizan, Hassan, Afraan and Mauseen were the only known faces amidst the rioters. Others might have come from outside. Here another eyewitness says that around 10 rioters were from our locality and at least 50 were outsiders, maybe from localities like Nizamuddin, Okhla in the south-east district of Delhi, etc, whom we do not recognise.

The Hindus recount how the rioters unleashed mayhem for at least half an hour on Saturday night, attacking Hindu men, women and kids with swords, sticks and knives and bricks. He said that to further intimidate us, the rioters picked up stones from the construction site near the Masjid in the area and hurled them at us.

The victims said that they have not left their homes to work fearing for the safety and security of their children. They say that there is a pervasive fear among the Hindus of the area following the incident.

They tried to break open the petrol tanks of the cars to burn our houses: Hindu residents of Sarai Kale Khan speak to OpIndia

The Hindus natives say that by the time the police force reached the spot the rioters had fled. “We made the first call to the police station at 11.15 pm. Thereafter we made at least 25 calls. Initially, only one PCR van came to monitor the situation. They then informed the PS, but when the DC and SI reached the spot the rioters had fled.

The Hindus claimed that the rioters broke around 30 motorbikes parked in the locality and attempts were also made to set the Hindu houses on fire. “They were trying to break open the petrol tanks of the cars parked in the locality to take out petrol to burn our houses when our ladies noticed and alerted us. Fearing repercussions, the Muslims fled. “Had it not been for those women, our houses would have been reduced to ashes for sure”, lamented a Hindu victim, adding that the mob had come fully prepared with swords, sticks and knives, bricks and acid.

Casteist slurs such as ‘Bh*ngi’ were used to insult the Dalit community

Earlier we reported how a few Hindus in the locality accused the rioters of hurling deeply offensive casteist slurs against them during the episode. They said that casteist slurs such as ‘Bh*ngi’ were used to insult the Dalit community.

‘We would have died if we returned home’: Mother of the Hindu boy

The mother of the Hindu boy whose marriage with a Muslim girl had incensed the mob enough to attack the Hindus of the locality in numbers, also told OpIndia that she told the mob that they could take the girl if she wanted to go with them. But the girl refused and said that her husband’s parents were her parents. “Fortunately, we did not come here from after submitting her consent affidavit. We would have died. They thought that we would come home,” she said.

The residents are now demanding justice for the insults that were poured on them.

‘TRS government is providing voter cards to illegal Rohingyas’: BJP’s Arvind Dharmapuri demands investigation by Central agencies

OpIndia Staff
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‘TRS government is providing voter cards to illegal Rohingyas’: BJP’s Arvind Dharmapuri demands investigation by Central agencies

On March 22, Arvind Dharmapuri, Bharatiya Janata Party’s MP from Nizamabad, Telangana, made serious allegations on Telangana Rashtra Samithi-led (TRS) government in Telangana in Lok Sabha. He said that the state government is issuing voter ID cards, passports and other important documents to illegal Bangladeshi Rohingya immigrants.

He also alleged that these illegal immigrants are causing communal riots in the state.

Nizamabad has become a hub of anti-India activities, alleges Dharmapuri

In his speech in Lok Sabha, Dharmapuri alleged that his constituency Nizamabad had become a hub of anti-India activities. He said over 72 illegal Rohingyas had acquired Indian passports. Out of these 72 passports, 32 were acquired at a single address in Bodhan, Nizamabad. As per the reports, during the initial investigation, it was found that these illegal Rohingyas obtained Aadhaar cards in West Bengal.

In February 2021, it was found that out of 500 passports issued in Telangana in the last five years, 72 were obtained using fraudulent document. Immigration authorities discovered the alleged passport fraud when three persons could not answer during questioning at the Shamshabad international airport. 32 of the fake passport holders managed to travel to different countries, including the Gulf, Malaysia, and Singapore. Fifteen of them had returned to India, but 17 are still abroad.

In the same month, the postal officials sent back 40 passports to the Regional Passport Office in Hyderabad as they were issued on four addresses in Bodhan town. The large number of passports issued on four address in just two days had raised red flags. On investigation, the authorities found that only one out of these forty passports was genuine.

The police worked ‘hand in gloves’ with Rohingyas, alleged Dharmapuri

Further investigation revealed how the Telangana state government worked ‘hands in gloves’ with the illegal Rohingya immigrants. Dharmapuri said that it was found the officers who went for police verification purpose of issuance of passport “did not perform their rightful duty”.

Recently, 46 Rohingyas were detained in Jammu. During interrogation, they named at least three legislatures of the AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) political party that is majorly confined in the Hyderabad region. These legislatures are also under the scanner of the investigation agencies after their names surfaced in the investigation. Dharmapuri said these legislatures helped the illegal Rohingyas to enter India from Myanmar via Bangladesh and facilitated their movement to Jammu.

‘Police department was acting on behest of TRS and AIMIM’ – alleged Dharmapuri

Dharampuri alleged that the police department appeared to be acting on the behest of TRS and AIMIM against peace and harmony. “This is a serious issue of the Telangana state as the government is compromising with the national security,” he added.

Rohingyas were responsible for Bhaisa riots, alleged Dharmapuri

He further alleged that the illegal Rohingyas are spread across Telangana and causing communal riots. He blamed the Rohingyas for the Bhainsa riots as well. “Hindus are getting murdered. Properties of Hindus are getting burnt down. And the police is throwing Hindus in jail,” he said. Dharmapuri requested the central government to initiate a fair investigation via central investigation agencies and punish the culprits involved in facilitating illegal Rohingyas as per the law.

People above 45 years, regardless of comorbidities, eligible for COVID-19 vaccination starting April 1

OpIndia Staff
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People above 45 years, regardless of comorbidities, eligible for COVID-19 vaccination starting April 1

Starting from April 1, people above 45 years of age, regardless of comorbidities, will stand eligible to take COVID-19 vaccination, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced on Tuesday.

Making the announcement which is likely to boost the country’s fight against the resurgent coronavirus, Javadekar urged eligible people to get themselves registered to get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccines. The Union Minister also assured the nation that there is no paucity of vaccine jabs in the country.

“We have sufficient doses to vaccinate the eligible people. All eligible people should get registered as it is a shield against COVID-19. We appeal all above 45+ should get vaccinated,” Javadekar said while addressing a press conference.

Javadekar also spoke about the UK coronavirus variant that has proven to be more infectious than the original strain. He said that the government is in touch with various states to monitor the cases reported due to the UK coronavirus variants and informed that necessary measures are taken to control its spread.

The decision to allow people above 45 to get vaccinated, irrespective of the existence of underlying diseases, comes on the heels of an increased spike in the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country. After the decline in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, the infections are steadily rising, especially after the advent of the UK coronavirus strain that is proved to be more infectious. India on Tuesday recorded 40,715 coronavirus cases, taking the total infection tally to 1,16,86,796. India’s total Active Caseload stands at 3.45 lakh (3,45,377) as of today.

The decision also comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with several chief ministers over the rising caseloads of the coronavirus in the country.

The union ministry of health and family welfare today said that Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu reported a rise in daily new corona cases. The states account for 80.90 per cent of the new infections reported in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state as 24,645 cases are reported. It is followed by Punjab with 2,299 while Gujarat reported 1,640 new cases.

India has approved the emergency use of the Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Serum Institute of India (SII) in January 2020. It started the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination on 16 January, with healthcare workers and frontline workers among the first ones to get the jabs. In the next phase of the COVID-19 inoculation drive that commenced on 1 March, those who were over 60 years of age and people aged 45 and above with co-morbid conditions were eligible for vaccinations.

Thalaivi trailer: Kangana Ranaut as the iconic Jayalalithaa in her journey from a movie superstar to Tamil Nadu’s CM

OpIndia Staff
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Thalaivi trailer: Kangana Ranaut as the iconic Jayalalithaa in her journey from a movie superstar to Tamil Nadu’s CM

Bollywood superstar Kangana Ranaut is all set to come up with yet another impactful performance in her upcoming movie Thalaivi. On the occasion of the actor’s 34th birthday, the makers of Thalaivi dropped the trailer of the much-anticipated movie. The movie will release on April 23.

The movie is directed by Vijay and screenplay is by Baahubali fame KV Vijayendra Prasad.

Offering a glimpse into the life of iconic J Jayalalithaa, the trailer of the movie sheds light on the events that shaped different stages of her legendary life—journey from her struggling days in the movie industry to becoming the face of the Tamil cinema, and finally her plunge into the politics to become Tamil Nadu’s beloved ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’.

The trailer shows Jayalalithaa’s relationship with MG Ramachandran(MGR) and how with his guidance, she decided to join politics and serve the people.

It also showcased how she had been insulted at every step of her political career, primarily on account of her gender. It gives an insight into how misogynistic society then was. Jayalalithaa broke the glass ceiling and paved the way for the greater participation of women in politics.

As a woman, Jayalalithaa had to face constant attacks and difficulties when she decided to enter politics. However, just like she had wowed the audience through her movie performances, she kept winning the hearts of the people in public life too.

The trailer also portrays Jaya’s maiden speech at the Rajya Sabha which was widely hailed for its clarity of diction and impressive prose. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was also impressed with her oratory skills, and so were other Rajya Sabha members.

The infamous incident when DMK members assaulted and tried to disrobe Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu assembly

After MGR’s death, when everybody had written Jayalalithaa off, she proved them wrong by leading her party to victory and winning people’s hearts with her work and dedication.

However, the biggest highlight of the trailer is the recreation of the infamous incident from Jaya’s life when she was physically assaulted and humiliated inside Tamil Nadu assembly. While there are multiple versions of the event, the dominant narrative is that an attempt was made by DMK members to disrobe Jaya.

In 1989, following the death of MGR, violence erupted between the members of the AIADMK and Karunanidhi’s DMK. Karunanidhi launched an aggressive verbal attack against Jaya after she had called him a criminal. What transpired in the aftermath was one of the most shameful episodes in the history of Tamil Nadu politics.

In the ensuing violence, Jayalalithaa was physically attacked, and just as she was leaving the assembly, DMK members attacked her and tried to humiliate her by disrobing her and pulling her hair. After this humiliation, she vowed to return to the assembly only after becoming the chief minister. Two years after the incident, Jayalalithaa defeated Karunanidhi and became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

The trailer shows the incident in a series of powerful scenes. Jayalalithaa in the movie compares the scene to Draupadi’s humiliation in the Hastinapur royal court as depicted in Mahabharata. She says that just like Draupadi’s humiliation caused the downfall of the Kuru clan, she will defeat her political opponents and claim victory because Mahabharata the epic has another name, “Jaya”.

US imposes sanctions on two Chinese officials for human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang

OpIndia Staff
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US imposes sanctions on two Chinese officials for human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang

The United States on Monday announced sanctions against two Chinese officials for the human rights abuses being carried out against Uyghur Muslims in China. The decision came days after the Biden administration held first bilateral meeting with China.

Following the decision to sanction the Chinese officials, the US has joined the league of countries like Canada, the UK and the European Union. The decision was reportedly a part a part of the of show of unity by the US and its international allies by condemning the Chinese atrocities on Uyghur Muslims. A series of statements were issued by the US and its allies in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, announcing sanctions and condemning the human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslims.

‘There are evidence’: US and its allies issue statement on Chinese atrocities

According to reports, a joint statement was issued by the US and its allies stating that there were evidence of China’s atrocities against Uyghur Muslims. “The evidence, including from the Chinese government’s own documents, satellite imagery and eyewitnesses testimony is overwhelming. China’s extensive program of repression includes severe restrictions on religious freedoms, the use of forced labor, mass detention in internment camps, forced sterilisatons and the concerted destruction of Uyghur heritage”, the joint statement read.

US assets of the Chinese officials to be frozen following the sanctions

The US Treasury Department reportedly informed that Wang Junzheng, the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and Cheng Mingguo, Director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB) were sanctioned for ‘serious human rights abuses’ against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province of China. The sanctions were imposed under the US Global Magnitsky Act. As result of the sanctions, the US assets of the Chinese officials, if any, will be frozen and any US entities will be prohibited from doing business with them.

Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department, Andrea M. Gacki said, “Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long as atrocities occur in Xinjiang. Treasury is committed to promoting accountability for the Chinese government’s human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and torture, against Uyghur and other ethnic minorities”.

As informed by the Treasury Department, the XPCC is a paramilitary organisation in the XUAR that is subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It was reported designated on July 31, 2020 for its link to serious human rights abuses. The XPCC is said to enhance internal control over the region by furthering China’s vision of economic development in XUAR that stresses on subordination to central planning and resource extraction. The Treasury Department alleged that repressive measures had been adopted by the XPSB against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities since late 2016.

Senior official in Trump admin says USA ‘has secret evidence of UFOs doing things human technology cannot’

OpIndia Staff
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Senior official in Trump admin says USA ‘has secret evidence of UFOs doing things human technology cannot’

In a recent television interview, the Trump administration’s Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe claimed that the United States has knowledge of ‘objects’ which can travel faster than the speed of sound without producing a sonic boom and perform maneuvers not possible with human technology. Ratcliffe further claims that many of the “UFO” incidents witnessed by U.S. officials have no easy explanation.

In the interview, Mr. Ratcliffe states clearly, “There are a lot more sightings than have been made public. Some of those have been declassified. And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain. Movements that are hard to replicate that we don’t have the technology for. Or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom.”

Ratcliffe goes on further, “When we talk about sightings, the other thing I will tell you is, it’s not just a pilot or just a satellite, or some intelligence collection. Usually, we have multiple sensors that are picking up these things, and some of these are unexplained phenomenon, and there is actually quite a few more than have been made public.”

All of this conversation about UFOs in recent days stems from a 180-day deadline given to the U.S. Government last December. The U.S. President at the time Donald Trump signed the $2.3 trillion Covid-19 relief bill which included an act stating government agencies must publish a report about UFOs in the next six months.

Last year, the Pentagon declassified mysterious video footage of what it describes as an “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” (UAP). The Pentagon declassified two videos, one from 2004 and the other from 2015, showing encounters with strange and unidentified flying objects, much to the disbelief of the U.S. pilots recording the footage.

Back in January, the CIA released voluminous amounts of documents related to the UFOs, which the CIA refers to as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). Many of the cases documented in these papers can be chalked up to the pilot’s error or tricks of light. However, there are many credible and puzzling incidents documented these files as well.

In one case, a Russian town suffered an explosion ripping the roofs from buildings, blowing apart windows, and leaving a 90-foot wide crater. Residents reported seeing a ‘moving fiery sphere’. However, the local military concluded it was just an ammonium nitrate blast. Another story in the documents is about a Bosnian fugitive who claims to have come into contact with aliens. Yet another file deals with a CIA Assistant Deputy Director for Science and Technology who ‘exhibited interest’ in a redacted object ‘which was handcarried to his office’.

Devendra Fadnavis makes explosive revelation, alleges transfer posting racket in state Police was ignored by Uddhav

OpIndia Staff
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Devendra Fadnavis makes explosive revelation, alleges transfer posting racket in state Police was ignored by Uddhav

During a press conference on March 23, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chose not to act on a report exposing a racket related to the transfer of police officials which was bought to his notice. He further said that CM Thackeray decided to keep mum just to save his government.

He said, “The chief minister did not take any action through the General Administration Department comes under him. The report has been with the government since August 2020 but to date no action on it. Seems like he shielded and protected this entire racket to save his government.”

Data over 6.3 GB to be shared with Union Home Ministry

In his statement, Fadnavis said that he has a copy of the report along with 6.3 GB of data that includes call recordings and documents. He added that the data would be shared with the Union Home Secretary for investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He said, “Since the union home secretary is the custodian and the chief minister, despite being in charge of General Administration Department did nothing to act on the report, I shall be submitting the report to the Centre.”

Rashmi Shukla was falsely punished, alleged Fadnavis

Fadnavis alleged that the call data he has acquired includes the names of senior IPS officers, non-IPS officers, junior officers, and politicians. He further accused the Maharashtra government of wrongfully “punishing” Commissioner of Intelligence Rashmi Shukla, who is a senior officer and worked under three governments.

Fadnavis said, “Rashmi Shukla, despite being the senior-most police officer, was overlooked for a promotion. She was promoted as Director-General of Civil Defence, a non-existent post not even sanctioned by the Cabinet. On the other hand, those whose names surface in the call intercepts have got the posts they wanted.”

In a tweet, he said, “This MVA Govt did not take any action on these severe & sensitive allegations. Instead transferred the intelligence Commissioner.”

Permission for phone tapping was granted by Additional Chief Secretary Kunte

Fadnavis said that the phone tapping was done with permission from the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sitaram Kunte. Shukla submitted the report to the Director-General of Police Subodh Jaiswal on August 25, 2020.

He further submitted the report to ACS (Home) on August 26, 2020.

Letter by Rashmi Shukla (Image: Aaj Tak)

Fadnavis said the DG had recommended notifying the chief minister about the named identified in the report.

Letter by DG (Image: Aaj Tak)

The DG had also asked to ensure the secrecy of the report to avoid disrepute to the government.

Feminist and ‘activist’ Kavita Krishnan is now cool with rape analogies, because Modi must be maligned

K Bhattacharjee
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Feminist and ‘activist’ Kavita Krishnan is now cool with rape analogies, because Modi must be maligned

‘Comedian’ Akash Banerjee is a popular figure in liberal circles due to his propaganda against the NDA Government at the center. He has often appeared with ‘woke’ Kunal Kamra and Dhruv Rathee to offer his insights into the political events of the day. On Sunday, he created quite the stir after trivialising the crime of rape.

Akash Banerjee, in his efforts to use ’eminent intellectual’ Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s resignation to propagandise against the Modi Government, compared the incident with the heinous rape of Nirbhaya. He claimed that Mehta’s resignation was academia’s ‘Nirbhaya moment’, comparing a resignation with rape and thus, trivialising the horrendous brutality Nirbhaya suffered.

Akash Banerjee’s rape analogy

The atrocity that Nirbhaya suffered requires no elaboration. But it’s not just Nirbhaya he has trivialised here. Banerjee has downplayed the torment that every victim of rape is made to endure by her tormentors. For a ‘comedian’ to compare a resignation with a crime as heinous as rape speaks volumes for his own inability to empathise with the terrible agony victims of rape are forced to endure. For Akash Banerjee, rape appears to be a political prop to be used to take pot-shots at those he disagrees with politically.

Banerjee’s rape analogy has drawn unequivocal condemnation by people across the board but there were few who were unable to look past their morbid hatred for Narendra Modi and his government. One of them was far-left agitator Kavita Krishnan. She said, “My first instinct was to question this as a ‘rape analogy’. But to be fair, this is perhaps an analogy about the moment of social realisation – that it is not just public universities that are facing Govt interference & attacks, but the private, so-called ‘autonomous’ ones too”.

Kavita Krishnan defends Akash Banerjee Nirbhaya rape analogy
Kavita Krishnan defends Banerjee’s rape analogy

Intriguingly, her current stance is quite inconsistent with that she has taken in the past regarding rape analogies. In the past, she has called them “sexist” and “not funny”. One wonders what has changed since then. Nevertheless, she continues to posture as a ‘feminist’.

Kavita Krishnan’s past stance on rape analogy

Banerjee’s rape analogy attracted strong criticism from people on social media. People were incensed that he had compared a resignation with a crime so brutal.

Despite widespread condemnation, Akash Banerjee is yet to offer an apology. It appears evident that people such as Banerjee and Kavita Krishnan have been so absorbed by their hatred for the Modi Government that they see no wrong in trivialising rape. His comrades Dhruv Rathee and Kunal Kamra are conspicuously silent regarding the whole matter as well. Indeed, the Modi Derangement Syndrome has engulfed them so entirely that they appear to believe comparing a resignation with rape is appropriate and acceptable public discourse.

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