The Maharashtra Police have arrested two persons for looting cash and ornaments worth Rs 50,000 from a temple at Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
According to the reports, the incident took place at the temple located in Pimpri village on February 5. The police had recovered around 30 CCTV footages installed in the neighbouring areas.
Based on the CCTV footage, the police have arrested two accused, 25-year-old Sharif Shafiful Shaikh and 28-year-old Mohammad Hussain Yasin Mulla from Kharghar in neighbouring Navi Mumbai on Sunday. The police also recovered the stolen cash and ornaments from them, said Assistant Commissioner of Police Neeta Padavi told reporters on Monday.
The Maharashtra police have also seized an auto-rickshaw that was used for committing the crime. The two accused have been booked under relevant sections, said the officer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday replied to Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha.
PM Modi hailed the President’s speech and said that it showcased India’s ‘sankalp shakti’, the power of determination. He also congratulated the women MPs who participated in the discussion on the President’s speech. Ahead of India’s 75 year of independence, he said that it is a matter of pride for every Indian and we should make new resolve to take India when we reach the 100 year mark.
Sarve Santu Niramaya and New World Order
PM Modi poke about the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and how the world has turned to India for the vaccination for Chinese virus. Speaking on Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), PM Modi said that remaining isolated from global trends will be counter productive and we must emerge as stronger player.
PM Modi said that the world has witnessed two world wars. The entire world changed after the second world war. Similarly, the world has changed post-COVID. “A new world order is forming,” he said. The Atmanirbhar Bharat will be the driving force in the new world, he said.
We have stood by the ‘Sarve Santu Niramaya’ (may all be free from disease) and in the tough time of coronavirus, we have proven ourselves. Atmanirbhar Bharat is not just a one political party concept. Today ‘vocal for local’ is heard across the country.
He said that in the tough time of the pandemic, the people’s discipline has saved us from a bigger tragedy.
Attacking the opposition, PM Modi said how Aadhaar, Jan Dhan Bank accounts helped the poor in the time of pandemic. “It is unfortunate some people went to Supreme Court to block the Aadhaar,” he said.
Farmers misled, new laws to benefit them, PM Modi says
Saying that the farmers are misled and that the new laws will benefit only them, PM Modi said, “I see Congress leaders discussing the farm laws. They discuss the colours, black or white, but would have been nicer if they discussed the content.”
Congress and other opposition leaders create a ruckus in the Lok Sabha. The speaker tries to calm the situation.
PM Modi said that if there are genuine concerns, the government is ready to address them. The country is made of people, after all, he said.
“Since farm laws have been passed, procurement under MSP has increased and no mandi has been closed down. I want to ask every farmer: Have the new laws snatched any right of yours?” PM Modi said.
On the ruckus created by mostly Congress MPs, PM Modi said that those disrupting the house are doing so as per well-planned strategy. “They are unable to digest that people are seeing through the truth. Through their games, the trust of the people can never be won,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi further reiterated that the new laws are not compulsory for all farmers. They can choose to seek benefits or not. They can choose to sell their produce to private players or not, the PM said.
Eventually, after creating a ruckus in the Lok Sabha, Congress MPs walked out.
PM Modi attacks Congress
Taking on Congress, PM Modi said how Congress is divided and confused. “Neither it can work for its own good, nor do any good for this nation,” PM Modi said. Speaking out against hanging on to the status quo mentality, PM Modi said that country’s youth will not wait forever for reforms. “Reformers like Raja Ram Mohun Roy and BR Ambedkar went against the tide to reform the society,” PM Modi said.
“Nobody had demanded law against dowry, still, it was made for nation’s progress. Similarly, laws were made against Triple Talaq and child marriage for progress,” PM Modi said as response to argument that why are benefits given when they are not asked for.
PM Modi bats for private players
During the recent agitation, many have demonised the private players, portraying them as monsters who profiteer off the poor. However, departing from age old socialism where former PM Nehru would call profit a bad word, PM Modi said, that while public sector is important, private players also play an important role in the country’s economy. “Take any sector – telecom, pharma- we see the role of the private sector. If India is able to serve humanity, it is also due to the role of the private sector,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi said that till the time we could not bring investment and new technologies to our agriculture, we will not be able to make our farming sector strong.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is well-known for her idiosyncrasies and strange oddities that sound like gibberish. As West Bengal assembly elections are just around the corner, Banerjee’s eccentricities have taken an altogether different level.
Recently, one such video of Mamata Banerjee rambling during one of the rallies is doing the rounds on the internet. In the video, Banerjee mouthed off inanities that had the social media in splits.
“Humba humba ramba ramba kamba kamba dumba dumba bumba bumba bamba bamba” is what Mamata seemed to have said in one of the election rallies whose video is now going viral on the internet.
The West Bengal CM used these words to describe the former Trinamool leaders who have left the party to join BJP. The TMC supremo said that such former TMC leaders are ‘naughty cows’, and they moo making several different sounds, not just the familiar ones.
She said at a meeting in Baharampur on Tuesday, “A few naughty cows left the party to join BJP like Mir Jafar did in the Battle of Plassey. They are now making a lot of noise — hamba hamba, ramba ramba, kamba kamba, dumba dumba, bumba bumba, bamba bamba. There are some others too. The sooner they leave the party, the better. An empty cowshed is better than having bad cows. Good riddance. I do not sell the party for money.”
Mamata Banerjee also attacked the rebel TMC leaders as corrupt, saying, “those who are corrupt bow their heads to corruption. They have amassed huge wealth and are now afraid of getting caught in the cattle smuggling case or the coal scandal. How dare they throw a spanner in the works when the government is procuring paddy from poor farmers?”
She also took a dig at BJP by calling it “BJP washing machine”. The CN added, “these people with muck all over are cleaning themselves up in the BJP washing machine. They have all flocked together to BJP.”
The TMC supremo compared herself with a Royal Bengal Tiger, saying she is not afraid of anything. She said, “there is no reason to think I am weak, I am not a person to be afraid of anything. I am a strong person and will keep my head high as long as I live and till then I will live like a Royal Bengal Tiger.”
Earlier speeches of Mamata Banerjee that evoked laughter
This is not the only instance when Mamata Banerjee seemed to have evoked laughter among the social media users with her gibberish remarks. Here are 4 instances when Mamata has launched into hilarious mumbo jumbo:-
Banerjee’s “CAA CAA Chi Chi, Chi Chi Chi Chi” tirade against CAA
Banerjee has been a staunch opponent of Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA). During one of her rants against the CAA, the Chief Minister of West Bengal took to unconventional sloganeering in opposition to the CAA. The most prominent among which went something like “Caa Caa Chi Chi, Chi Chi Chi Chi.”
Mamata Banerjee goes on a bizarre rant to mock BJP President JP Nadda
Just hours after BJP chief JP Nadda and party’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s convoy was attacked by alleged TMC party workers in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resorted to mocking the BJP leaders and claimed that the attacks against their leaders were just a political ploy by the BJP.
Speaking at a rally, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP had no other work. Attacking Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda, Mamata Banerjee indulged in name-calling by mocking the name of the BJP president. She said that as BJP leaders have no other work, sometimes their chief ministers visit West Bengal, sometimes it is home minister Amit Shah who visits the state, and sometimes some ‘Chadda Madda Fadda Bhadda Nadda’ is here.
#WATCH They (BJP) has no other work. At times Home Minister is here, other times its Chaddha, Nadda, Fadda, Bhaddha is here. When they’ve no audience, they call their workers for doing Nautanki: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee addressing a public rally in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/uXrIyhdrj2
Mamata Banerjee chants mantras to shoo away a big monkey during her rally
Back in 2012, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee resorted to chanting mantras to shoe away a langur that had gatecrashed an event in Hooghly’s Chandernagore.
As she began speaking at the event, a big monkey came and sat close to the stage. Instead of asking security personnel to shoo away the monkey, Mamata asked people to remain calm and started chanting a mantra.
“Om Mahadevam mahatanam mahayogi maheswaram, Mahapapaharam devam makarya namo namoh,” Banerjee said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly defended the three farm laws enacted by his government that intend to bring major reforms in the farm sector. Standing firmly behind the country’s small and marginal farmers, PM Modi asserted that the farm laws would not be repealed. The PM, however, added that the government was open to negotiations.
Replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi spoke of how attempts are being made by left-wing ecosystem to create roadblocks against reforms just like they did during the days of ‘Green Revolution’.
In his speech in Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Modi draw a parallel between the farm sector reforms initiated by his government in the last six years to the Green Revolution that started in the mid-1960s and remembered how the leftists had hounded the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri just as they created impediments to the Modi government from initiating reforms.
After the death of Nehru and the defeat in the Indo-China 1962 war, the country was facing a bad time, coupled with massive food shortages, monsoon failures, etc. At the time, India was dependant on the American assistance for food under PL 480 scheme in which the US would send India food grains so Indians would not starve.
However, Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri took a resolve to end this food insecurity by bringing in new varieties (of crops), hybrids, plant breeding, fertilisers and modern irrigation — which led to the Green Revolution.
Leftists had called Lal Bahadur Shastri an ‘American Agent’: PM Modi
Remembering the former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, PM Modi Modi recalled how Congress leaders did not have the courage to take up the challenge and refused the post of Agriculture Minister when Shastri attempted to bring in these reforms. PM Modi also pointed out the hue and cry against Lal Bahadur Shastri for taking courageous decisions to achieve food security and initiate farm sector reforms during the ‘Green Revolution’ era.
“No one was ready to become Agriculture Minister in Shastriji’s time. Planning Commission also opposed the agriculture reforms then. But Shastri Ji moved forward. Left parties said the same thing then that it is being done on America’s instructions,” remembered PM Modi.
In his speech, PM Modi revealed how the Green Revolution had met with the same kind of resistance and opposition that the current farm reforms are experiencing. Attacking the left-wing ecosystem in the country that is fueling the protests currently, PM Modi said that Left is using the same language to attack the Green Revolution as they are doing now.
During his speech, PM Modi also recalled how Congress leaders were called “American agents” by the leftists. He added that Shastri move moved forward on his resolve to achieve surplus food production.
PM Modi defends farm laws, says perennial parasites are fuelling current protests
In a scathing attack against the ‘perennial’ protestors, Prime Minister Modi also said that while protesting is the right of the people of India, the so-called protests against the farm laws were a result of some career protestors misleading farmers.
Quoting a few familiar names, PM Modi said that people are familiar with words like ‘Shramjeevi, Buddhijeevi etc., however, PM Modi said that a new ‘Jamaat’ had taken birth in India in the form of ‘Andolanjeevi’ – a sly term for career protestors who literally survive on these so-called protests.
He said that these ‘Andolanjeevis’ plant themselves in whatever protest is ongoing. If there is a protest by lawyers, they will be seen amidst the lawyers. If there is a protest by students, they will reach there, and if there is a protest by labourers, they will appear there as well. They sometimes function in front of the public eye, and oftentimes, function behind the scenes. “Ye poori toli hai ji”, said PM Modi (this is an entire cabal).
Further, PM Modi said, “They can’t live without protests, and they keep looking for protests to live. We need to recognise such people who reach everywhere and take big ideological stands, mislead people. The country needs to save itself from such ‘andolanjeevi’ people”.
He also mocked such individuals by saying that they have no power to create a protest on their own, but they join an on-going protest to make themselves visible. Further, he said that such andolanjeevi are ‘parjeevis’ (parasites). Chuckling, he also quipped that any party that runs a government in any state, would have perhaps come across such parasites and hence, they will enjoy what he is saying right now.
Talking about these Icchadhari protesters, PM Modi also warned the nation about a new kind of FDI which he termed as ‘Foreign Destructive Ideology”.
Reiterating the Muslima law on marriage, the Punjab and Haryana High Court said that a Muslims girl can be married off to anyone on attaining puberty even if she has not yet completed 18 years of age. The High Court referred to Article 195 of the book ‘Principles of Mohammedan Law’ by Sir Dinshah Fardunji Mullah, which is considered as one of the authoritative texts on Muslim personal law.
The High Court said that a Muslim girl who has attained puberty is allowed to marry a person of her choice as per the Muslim personal law.
Muslim law book says mentally disabled persons, children who have not attained puberty can also be married off by ‘guardian’
Quoting Article 195 from Mulla’s book, the High Court explained the ‘capacity of marriage’ under Muslim personal law. “Every Mohomedan of sound mind, who has attained puberty, may enter into a contract of marriage. Lunatics and minors who have not attained puberty may be validly contracted into marriage by their respective guardians. A marriage of a Mohammedan who is (of) sound mind and has attained puberty is void if it is brought without his consent”, the High Court reportedly quoted. It added, “Puberty is presumed, in the absence of evidence, on completion of the age of 15 years”.
Court held minor girl’s marriage valid under Muslim law
The order was passed by Justice Alka Sarin during the hearing of a petition filed by a Muslim couple from Punjab. The petitioners, husband aged 36 years and ‘wife’ aged 17 years, had got married on January 21, 2021, in accordance with Muslim ceremonies. The couple had sought protection from the court alleging that their relatives were opposed to their relationship. The judge observed that the petitioners could not be deprived of their fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution merely because their relatives were against them. She added that the relatives had no right to interfere because the couple had contracted marriage as per the Muslim personal law. The court directed SSP Mohali (SAS Nagar) to provide security to the couple.
Several courts and judges have raised concerns in the past
Speaking at an event in 2017, SC judge Justice AK Sikri had said that though the Prevention of Child Marriage Act is a secular law, child marriages are still rampant because the societies have refused to change. He had cited that the Muslim Personal Law is in conflict with the Prevention of Child Marriage Act because, under it, a girl who has attained puberty becomes eligible for marriage. He had also stated that a girl can also attain puberty at the age of 11 and such religious personal laws are making it difficult for a social evil like child marriage to be eradicated.
In 2015, the Madras HC had stated that the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act (POCMA) of 2006 prevails over Muslim Personal Law if the girl in question is below 18 years of age. The HC had stated that even though the POCMA is not against Muslim Personal Laws per se, the POCMA will prevail when it concerns about the well being of a minor girl.
The verdict was given on a PIL filed by SDPI against a district social welfare officer’s action which had prevented the marriage of a 16-year-old Muslim girl and had handed her over to the Child Welfare Committee in Virudhnagar in 2015.
Recently, the Punjab and Haryana HC had passed another order asserting Sharia law, stating that a Muslim man can have multiple wives, but a Muslim woman will first have to divorce her current husband if she wants to live with another man.
Twitter has decided to brazen it out and put its own rules above Indian laws and refused to withhold or suspend accounts that have been accused of inciting violence in the country. In a series of tweets and a blog, Twitter tried to explain its stand on not taking action against provocative tweets by certain verified individuals.
Twitter cited freedom of speech and expression as per the Indian Constitution for news media entities, journalists, activists and politicians for refusing to take action against the offending accounts.
However, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve, and are exploring options under Indian law.
Interestingly, the Indian Constitution’s Article 19 that serves freedom of speech and expression does not specify press or associated persons as separate entities. The laws in India consider every citizen equal, unlike the US.
The microblogging giant claimed, “The values that underpin the Open Internet and free expression are increasingly under threat around the world.” Twitter claimed that it exists to provide a platform to everyone so that their voices are heard irrespective of their views and perspective. One may think if it is the same company that recently blocked sitting President of the United States, Donald Trump’s account, claiming that he had caused Capitol Hall violence.
Twitter claimed to have taken action against hundreds of accounts
In the statement published on its blog, Twitter said that since January 26, 2021, its global team took action against hundreds of accounts that were in violation of the Twitter rules. It said that they:
“Took action on hundreds of accounts that violated the Twitter Rules, particularly inciting violence, abuse, wishes of harm, and threats that could trigger the risk of offline harm
Prevented certain terms that violated our Rules from appearing in the Trends section
Suspended more than 500 accounts that were engaging in clear examples of platform manipulation and spam
Tackled misinformation based on the highest potential for real-world harm, and prioritized labeling of Tweets that were in violation of our synthetic and manipulated media policy.”
Notably, they took action according to their policies, if their statement is to be believed. They may or may not have considered the law of the land, that is India.
Steps were taken by Twitter against Government’s request to block specific accounts
Twitter further said that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act served several separate blocking orders on the last 10 days. The accounts that the Government have requested to withhold or block also contained accounts of media outlets, news agencies, journalists, activists and some high profile leaders. Twitter further added that two of these were emergency blocking orders that the company temporary complied with. However, they reversed the action taken and restored the accounts. When they informed MeitY about their actions, they were served with non-compliance notice.
However, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve, and are exploring options under Indian law.
This is where Twitter went on and discussed the importance of ‘free speech’ and claimed Indian Law does not allow blocking of accounts. It said:
“We took steps to reduce the visibility of the hashtags containing harmful content, which included prohibiting them from trending on Twitter and appearing as recommended search terms.
We took a range of enforcement actions — including permanent suspension in certain cases — against more than 500 accounts escalated across all MeitY orders for clear violations of Twitter’s Rules.
Separately, today, we have withheld a portion of the accounts identified in the blocking orders under our Country Withheld Content policy within India only. These accounts continue to be available outside of India. Because we do not believe that the actions we have been directed to take are consistent with Indian law, and, in keeping with our principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. To do so, we believe, would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law. We informed MeitY of our enforcement actions today, February 10, 2021. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the Indian Government and respectfully engage with them.“
Twitter confused the United States’ Constitution with Indian Constitution
According to the White House’s website, “The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Here, they have specifically mentioned the ‘press’ in the Constitution, giving media houses free hand to say whatever they want without worrying about the consequences of their actions. The First Amendment’s free speech clause for the press has increased penetration of Fake News in the United States, resulting in mistrust and even violence.
Now coming to Article 19 of the Indian Constitution [PDF] that talks about the freedom of speech and expression. Article 19, section 1(a) states, “All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.” Moving further, Section 2 of the same Article states, “Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of 4 [the sovereignty and integrity of India,] the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.]”
That means though the Indian Constitution allows freedom of speech to everyone, irrespective of caste, race, location, age, sex, political views, etc., there are restrictions. The free speech does not allow anyone to make any statement that can disrupt public order or result in incitement to an offence. That means, Article 19 does not allow people of the press or any other profession to make any statement that can result in violence.
The statements made by the accounts mentioned in the notices sent by MeitY were involved in spreading fake news and misleading public. For example, Rajdeep Sardesai, The Caravan and other media outlets had spread misinformation about the death of a rioter named Navreet Singh Hundal and claimed he was shot by the police. Despite clarification by the police and related authorities, these portals continued to spread the misinformation.
Government denied request of dialogue
According to sources in the ministry, the Government has turned down the proposal to have dialogue from Twitter. Union Minister of IT & Telecom, RS Prasad, has refused to meet Twitter officials.
As micro-blogging site Twitter brazened it out and refused to take action the anti-India and Khalistani accounts, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) on Wednesday said that they are reviewing its earlier decision to meet Twitter officials.
Taking to the India-made Twitter alternate Koo app, the Ministry said that following Twitter’s recent blog, they would soon share its response about the decision to meet the Twitter officials. Earlier, it was reported that some of the Twitter officials were expected to hold meetings with government officials to convey their stand on the issue in light of the ongoing events. However, sources tell OpIndia that Union Minister RS Prasad has refused to meet Twitter officials.
With Twitter coming out with its recent blog saying that it refuses to take action against all the 1,400 accounts listed by the government and instead would let off a few social media accounts of alleged journalists, media houses and other left-wing accounts, the MEITY is now reconsidering the decision to meet the Twitter officials after it disrespected Indian laws by not following the law of the land.
“Upon the request of Twitter seeking a meeting with the Govt., the Secretary IT was to engage with senior management of Twitter. In this light a blog post published prior to this engagement is unusual. Govt. will share its response soon,” posted MEITY through its Koo account.
MEITY’s Koo
Interestingly, the Modi government has chosen to issue this particular statement on the relatively new app – ‘Koo’, which itself it is a testament that the government is not happy with the defiance showed by a foreign private entity like Twitter.
Twitter fails to comply with Indian government notice
Earlier this week, the centre had issued a new notice to social media giant Twitter directing it to block 1,178 accounts found to be from Pakistan peddling Khalistani secessionism. This was an addition to the government’s earlier notice asking them to ban 257 anti-India social media accounts for making hate speech.
The misuse of the social media platform for spreading anti-India propaganda, provocative content and misinformation had irked the Union government. The government believes that the said Twitter accounts have the potential to cause a threat to public order.
However, Twitter showed its reluctance to comply with the central government’s notice under Section 69A of the IT Act. The social media site has banned only a handful of 1,400 handles, and Twitter said it would not be taking action against any media, journalists, activists, and politicians despite the government’s notice.
We have withheld some of the accounts identified in the blocking orders under our Country Withheld Content policy within India only. These accounts continue to be available outside of India. https://t.co/uQuXNtzq9t
Referring to some handles as ‘newsworthy’, the social media platform brazened out by saying that this Twitter handles will only be blocked within India and would not include the handles of journalists, media entities, activists and politicians.
Shockingly, Twitter claimed that the actions being directed towards them by the Modi government were not consistent with the Indian law. The micro-blogging site not only attempted to teach Indian laws to the democratically-elected government but also tried to disrespect Indian laws by failing to comply with orders of the government.
We’ve made it clear, around the world, that we strongly believe that the Tweets must flow.
For more on how we engage governments and protect our values around the world, see our Transparency Report. https://t.co/kgibX2DM2R
Twitter also claimed that they did not believe that the actions they have been directed to take are consistent with Indian law. They said that keeping with their ‘principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression’ and will not take any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians.
“To do so, we believe, would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law,” it said.
Government moves to ‘Koo’ app
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and many of its organisations have moved to Koo, a Made-in-India alternative to Twitter. The Ministry of Electronics and IT, MyGov, Digital India, India Post, NIC, NIELIT, SAMEER, Common Services Center, UMANG app, Digi Locker, NIXI, STPI, CDAC, and CMET have verified handles on the platform.
The move comes at a time when the Government is mulling actions against Twitter for failing to comply with its orders on removing Khalistani and anti-India accounts.
The Supreme Court of India today passed an order staying the dismantling of INS Viraat, the decommissioned aircraft carrier of Indian navy. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued to order to keep the status quo on the demolition of the vessel, which was brought to Alang Ship Breaking yard in Gujarat in September last year by a scrap dealer.
The judgement was passed following a petition by a company called Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited, offering to preserve it and convert it into a museum. The Company has proposed to convert the hull into a maritime museum and multi-functional adventure centre.
However, this order may not be the cause for conservationists to rejoice, as demetallation of the ship has already begun at the yard. Reports last month had stated that around 30% dismantling work of INS Viraat had been completed and the entire vessel would be dismantled in nine months. Mukesh Patel, Chairman of the Shree Ram Group, which bought the ship at an auction in July last year for Rs 38.54 crore, had told media that the firm began the dismantling process in December 2020.
Photographs of the dismantled ship that have appeared on social media show that the ski-ramp of the carrier has already been removed, and the dismantling process of the deck is well under process. The images show that not just the upper deck, but the process of dismantling even the lower decks have also started, and the superstructure of the hull also have been dismantled to a significant extent. This shows that it will be almost impossible to restore it back to preserve it, and even if that is done, it will be very costly.
INS Viraat being dismantled in Gujarat
It may be noted that after the ship was decommissioned in March 2017, several organisations have demanded it to be converted into a museum instead of dismantling it. In November 2018, the Maharashtra government had approved the conversion of Viraat into India’s first moored maritime museum and marine adventure centre. But it didn’t attract any tender due to high cost of the project.
An expert committee appointed to study the feasibility of preserving the ship had ruled that it will not be viable due to the structural deterioration of the ship. The committee was formed on the advice of PM Narendra Modi, who also wanted to preserve the ship. But when the committee said in its report that the ship won’t survive beyond 10-15 years due to extensive deterioration of the metal used in the ship, the central government had decided to scrap the same.
INS Viraat being dismantled in Gujarat
In July 2020, Gujarat-based company Shri Ram Shipping had purchased the ship from the Metal Scrap Corporation for ₹38.54 crore. In September, the ship was towed from Mumbai to Alang in Gujarat, where the dismantling began in December. In the meantime, Envitech Marine Consultants had offered to buy the ship from Shri Ram Shipping to convert it to a museum, but the deal didn’t materialise.
INS Viraat had started as HMS Hermes of the Royal Navy of the UK in the year 1959, and it was decommissioned in 1984. After that, it was purchased by India, and the carrier was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987. Therefore, although the ship served with Indian Navy for 30 years, it is actually more than 62 years old.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights – the apex body responsible for the laws and policies of the child rights in the country, has written to the Economic Offences Wing to initiate an action against controversial news channel NDTV over allegations of fraudulently using the cause of children to illegally raise money for its own benefit.
In a letter written to the Joint Commissioner of Police -EOW of the Delhi Police, the NCPCR has asked to investigate a complaint against NDTV for organising an alleged fund riser purported to be for the kids by using a foundation’s name that works with Government of India. In its letter, NCPCR said that they received a complaint against NDTV alleging that the controversial news outlet had started a fundraiser in partnership with the UNICEF to help kids affected by the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
The complainant had stated that NDTV had claimed these funds were being raised for the Childline India Foundation – a foundation that works with Ministry of Women and Child Development. Childline India Foundation is a nodal agency under the Ministry that operates a telephone helpline called ‘Childline 1098’, for children in distress.
However, neither the foundation nor the Ministry is even aware of the fundraising campaign that was organised in its name by NDTV.
In his letter to NCPCR, the complainant has alleged that the purported fundraiser initiated by NDTV was nothing but a fraudulent way to use cause of kids to illegally raise money for its own benefit.
NCPCR asks Economic Offence Wing to take action against NDTV
Forwarding the complaint to the EOW, the NCPCR has now written a letter seeking action against NDTV to look into the serious allegations against NDTV for raising this money and utilising this money received in this fundraiser. The NCPCR has also said that it has deemed it appropriate to take action NDTV under Section 13(1)(j) of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.
“Keeping in view of the serious allegations made against NDTV for fraudulently using the cause of children and illegally raising money for its own benefit, the Commission has deemed it appropriate to take cognisance under Section 13(1)(j) CPCR Act, 2005 upon this complaint,” read the NCPCR letter to EOW seeking action against NDTV.
NCPCR’s letter to EOW seeking action against NDTV
The letter added, “Therefore, it requested that the serious allegation made in this complaint may be looked into an investigation into the intentions of NDTV for raising this money and utilisation of this money received in this fundraiser may be initiated under appropriate provisions of law”.
NDTV-UNICEF Reimagine Telethon – a bogus fundraiser
In November 2020, the controversial media house NDTV – whose promoters are accused in money laundering and tax fraud cases, had launched an alleged fundraising initiative ‘NDTV-UNICEF Reimagine Telethon’ to aid children during the COVID-19 crisis.
According to NDTV, it had collaborated with UNICEF to start a fundraiser for children. The main aim of ‘Reimagine’ special telethon is to help the most vulnerable children affected by the COVID-19 crisis, claimed NDTV on the launch of the purported fundraiser.
“Children are the forgotten victims of the pandemic. COVID has severely affected not just children’s health but has caused many of them to drop out of school…With lockdowns being relaxed, things will improve but will not get back to normal for a very long time – during which time lives, educations and futures will be lost,” said NDTV during the launch.
During the launch, the NDTV had claimed that without immediate funding and key lifesaving interventions like health care, nutrition, and immunization, an additional 1,600 children could die in India every day over the next six months. Seeking funds in the name of helping children, NDTV had asked for funds claiming that they would protect the most vulnerable children.
“Let’s reimagine our children’s future. Join NDTV and UNICEF’s special campaign, ‘Reimagine Our Children’s Future’,” claimed the NDTV.
UNICEF issues disclaimer on NDTV fundraising
As NDTV claimed that the fundraising was a collaboration with UNICEF, the global child-rights body had taken an exception against such claims made by NDTV. After NDTV used UNICEF’s name to receive money as aid to help children, the global organisation issued a statement saying that a few organizations and individuals were falsely using UNICEF’s name to raise funds and promotion without authorization.
“We denounce this unethical practice and disassociate from the organizations/individuals involved in this,” the UNICEF had denounced NDTVs’ fundraising campaign without naming the controversial far-left outlet.
However, NDTV is yet to respond to the ongoing allegations. The complaint registered at NCPCR and the subsequent letter to Economic Offence Wing against the alleged fundraising event of the NDTV may now lead to a detailed investigation against the news outlet and its purported fundraising campaign to illegal raise funds in the name of children.
Following the arrest of Khalistani supporter Deep Sidhu yesterday, the Delhi Police Special Cell has now arrested another accused, named Iqbal Singh in relation to the Republic Day violence. Iqbal Singh who has a reward of Rs 50,000 on his was arrested by the police last night from Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
Iqbal Singh, an accused in 26th January Delhi violence case arrested by Special Cell from Hoshiarpur, Punjab last night. He carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest: Delhi Police pic.twitter.com/T5ysMI4v77
Apart from Iqbal Singh, a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each has also been announced by the police on arrest of Jagbir Singh, Buta Singh and Sukhdev Singh.
As per reports, Singh was seen threatening police officials with violence in the videos from Red Fort. He had threatened that if the rioters are not allowed to enter, they will fire at the police from their own weapons.
A Delhi Court had sent Deep Sidhu to 7 days police custody. The police have been investigating Sidhu’s role in instigating violence and vandalising the Red Fort on the Republic Day during the tractor rally organised by protestors. Sindhu, who has been absconding since the Republic Day riots, was reportedly traced by the police using advanced surveillance technology.
Delhi Police have identified 50 rioters so far
Delhi Police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh. A lookout notice was also issued against Sidhu, Lakha Sidhana and Jugraj Singh. Sidhu and Jugraj Singh and two others were involved in hoisting two flags with Sikh symbols atop the Red Fort and inciting people for violence.
Delhi police have so far identified 50 rioters and have seized 14 tractors used in the Republic Day violence.
